May 16, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan
An Astoria man could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of damaging a South Richmond Hill Mosque while going on an anti-Muslim tirade, the Queens District Attorney’s office announced.
Zakaria Kabir, 37, of 30th Road, was arraigned earlier today on six charges related to the crime.
According to the charges, Kabir allegedly went to the Sunnat-ul-Jamaat of NY Inc. Mosque, located at 112-3 101st Ave., on April 29, shortly after 9 p.m. He allegedly began screaming and battering the outside of the building with his fist.
Kabir then entered the mosque where he is alleged to have began his property destruction rampage. He allegedly smashed a TV with a chair, ripped up several Qurans, and overturned furniture. During his rage, Kabir allegedly yelled out “These people are a terrorist group. They need to leave the country,” and “I’ll Kill These Muslims.”
The mosque was left in disarray, with damage to the Qurans alone estimated to be $5,000.
“The defendant in this case is accused of going on a hate-filled, violent rampage,” said Acting District Attorney John M. Ryan. “Queens is the most diverse county in the United States – a proud distinction where people from all cultures and backgrounds live, work and pray in harmony. This defendant’s alleged actions are wholly unacceptable and he will be held accountable.”
Kabir has been charged with third-degree burglary as a hate crime, third-degree burglary, third-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime, third-degree criminal mischief, first-degree aggravated harassment, and disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or memorial service.
Kabir will return to court on June 11, and faces between three and 15 years in prison if convicted.
7 Comments
A Muslim man convicted of a hate crime in nyc?? What will the jurist at his subsequent hearing impose an alternative punishment ?? Compose a 1000 word essay that it was not nice what he did??. He is no way doing any real jail time.
Where in the article does it state his religion?
Your essay reference has grown tiresome. Get a new routine already.
Why do you think this comment Trump Lover won’t be brought to Justice?
Also I thought Trumptards thought hate crimes don’t exist?
15 years is not enough! A hate crime should warrant at least a 50 year sentence with no chance of parole! People have no right to tell anybody else what religion to practice or what to believe in. If you don’t like a person for those reasons, then go about your business, but leave them alone!
I hope people are not going to claim that “stop and frisk” would of prevented this crime from happening like all the others in Astoria.
You aren’t reading other comments talking about stop and frisk and applying them to everything you read now. Stop and frisk has its place. We don’t live in a utopia and last I checked there is no “Mayberry” in Astoria. Crime is a given but give the police a fighting chance at stopping it.