Two Muslim women filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against New York City and NYPD officers, alleging police brutally assaulted them and forcibly removed their hijabs during a Gaza protest, claiming religious persecution and constitutional violations.
The 32-page complaint filed in Manhattan Federal Court details how officers allegedly strangled 20-year-old Zarmeen Azam with her hijab fabric and violently ripped the religious head coverings from both women during an August 2024 demonstration outside a Kamala Harris campaign event.
"Wearing my hijab is an act of faith, identity, and dignity. The NYPD ripped it off me as if none of that mattered," said plaintiff Shajnin Howlader about the alleged assault.
The lawsuit, backed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations New York, alleges the NYPD uses forcible hijab removal as a form of crowd control and intimidation to suppress both free speech and religious expression. The women claim this practice deters Muslim women from participating in protests.
Police sources countered that approximately 20 protesters caused over $5,000 in damages at a Hamilton Heights restaurant and assaulted officers, describing the demonstrators as creating "an incredibly dangerous situation" that required police intervention to protect patrons.
This case follows a $17.5 million settlement NYPD paid in 2023 for forcing people to remove religious head coverings for mugshots. The new lawsuit seeks both monetary damages and court orders preventing future hijab removals during arrests or protests.
The federal lawsuit represents the latest legal challenge to NYPD tactics during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, highlighting tensions between law enforcement crowd control methods and religious freedom protections. The case could establish important precedents for police interactions with Muslim women wearing religious attire during public protests.