By Two days ago, 26-year-old Michael Voyard burst into the Jamaica Muslim Center in Queens, New York, and started behaving in a bizarre manner before attacking two Muslims.
According to a press release from the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR), during the Zuhr prayer, Voyard started shouting “I am a Prophet, give me a Quran.”
He then punched two men and ran outside, where he had also, at some point, proceeded to rip a car mirror from a vehicle in which a Muslim woman was a passenger. One of the men he attacked, a 69-year-old man, was admitted to Jamaica Hospital. Thankfully, the Daily News reports that neither man was seriously injured.
Witnesses called 911, and police soon responded. They were able to find him just outside the center. When police approached, Voyard did what everyone in his situation would naturally do: He started stripping naked.
He was taken into custody, and police took him to Queens Hospital Center for observation.
Voyard admitted to police that he was high on synthetic marijuana, commonly called K2, and cocaine.
CAIR is now calling for increased security measures at mosques.
CAIR-NY’s Director of Operations, Sadyia Khalique, says “We call on community leaders to step up security measures and urge law enforcement authorities to investigate this attack thoroughly and to prosecute the alleged perpetrator with appropriate charges.”
CAIR has put together a helpful guide, called Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety, available for free here.
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“A lot of are seriously afraid for their security in spaces that are supposed to be safe, such as a vehicle for public transportation.” …. Unfortunately this is also true for many non-muslims, and, for many (e.g. France, Sweden, Germany, the US), they aren’t alive to tell their story. When will this hatred and fear from both sides end?