6 THE QUEENS COURIER • JULY 4, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com Charge man in hate crime outside mosque BY MAGGIE HAYES [email protected] A November hate crime case has been cracked and a Forest Hills man charged with attempted murder. Late last year, Bashir Ahmad, a devout Muslim from Afghanistan, was attacked and repeatedly stabbed outside of his local mosque, Masjid Al-Saaliheen in Flushing. Bernhard Laufer was arrested and charged in connection with the incident. “He hit me six times,” Ahmad said in November. He said his attacker was yelling, “You’re a Muslim motherf-----, I’ll kill you.” Ahmad was opening the mosque’s doors for morning prayers, as he had done every day for the past 12 years, when Laufer attacked. “Crimes fueled by hate will not be tolerated here in Queens County, the most diverse county in the nation,” said District Attorney Richard A. Brown. Ahmad said Laufer came up from behind him and began stabbing him on his shoulder and then on top of his head. When Ahmad turned around and attempted to restrain him, Laufer bit Ahmad on his nose and stabbed him in his right leg. Ahmad also suffered a laceration just above his right eye and a slash to his right thumb. He tried to defend himself by biting Laufer’s fi nger. Ahmad put his arms up to protect himself and Laufer continued to stab him in the body, causing bleeding, lacerations, bruising and swelling to his hands, head, legs and back, said Brown. THE COURIER/Photo by Maggie Hayes Bashir Ahmad, pictured here in his Flushing home, was stabbed repeatedly and subjected to anti-Muslim slurs. Now Bernhard Laufer of Forest Hills has been arrested and charged in connection with the attack. The 57-year-old victim said Laufer was not attacking him personally, but the Muslim faith as a whole. “His problem is not with me, his problem is with Muslims,” he alleged. Laufer is charged with attempted second-degree murder as a hate crime, second-degree assault as a hate crime, attempted fi rst-degree assault as a hate crime, attempted second-degree murder, second-degree assault and attempted fi rst-degree assault. If convicted, he faces a minimum of eight years and maximum of 25 years in prison. Parents peeved after fender bender leaves kids stranded BY MELISSA CHAN Her son, Lucas, who suffers from [email protected] anxiety and ADHD, was kept on the bus for nearly two hours. A Forest Hills fender bender left seven Parents were called to pick their children special education students stranded on up at the site of the accident, but Kimmel a bus for up to two hours while they said she and her husband could not get out waited for police, parents said. of work at the time of the 3:30 p.m. crash. “These are emotionally fragile children. “He didn’t completely fall apart, but They get scared easily,” said parent Rita there could have been other children on Kimmel. “They have anxieties and phobias that bus that could have,” said Kimmel and would be more or less freaked out to be of Bayside. “He was very worried, very in any kind of car accident, much less stuck scared. There was a panic to him.” on the side of the road not knowing when Another parent, Lily Ng, who lives police or their parents were going to come.” minutes away, was able to grab her The bus was carrying children and child immediately. teens with disabilities home from The “I’m not surprised at all for how long Child School and Legacy High School it took the police to come,” she said. “If in Roosevelt Island on June 21, when I wasn’t able to get to him, I certainly another driver slowly pulling out of a would be more upset.” parking space struck the side of the According to Kimmel, both drivers bus on 71st Drive and Metropolitan called 9-1-1 around 3:30 p.m. to report Avenue, parents said. the accident. They called again at 5:23 Police said there were no reported p.m. and 6:16 p.m. when no help came. injuries, but declined to comment further. The distraught mom said cops arrived Kimmel, who has a 12-year-old son, after 8 p.m. said she was disturbed to learn it took The bus company, Hoyt nearly fi ve hours for cops to arrive to fi ll Transportation, and school did not out an accident report. return calls for comment. The Bayside Village BID Presents thursday nights May 29 - August 30 Visit Bell Boulevard Thursdays this Summer Check out your favorite salons, shops, restuarants and bars for weekly specials to kick off your summer weekend. For a complete list of participating businesses www.baysidevillage.net @baysidebid Bayside Village BID for the weekly specials sponsored by check out: BUY DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER FREE Measuring & Installation w/purchase of $100. • Draperies • Vertical Blinds • Honeycomb Shades • Custom Window Shades • Mini Blinds Nobody Beats Our Prices! FREE Shop At Home Service • Roman Shades • Balloon Shades • Swags & Jabots • Shutters • Upholstery • Radiator Covers • Table Pads UP TO 70% OFF LIST PRICE Free Interior Design Consultation *Not to be combined w/other offers. Expires 7/12/13 $50 OFF with purchase of $500 or more $100 OFF with purchase of $1,000 or more GOMER’S Window Treatments SINCE 1962 Factory Showroom: 268 St. & Hillside Ave., Floral Park 1/4mi E. of Little Neck Pkwy. 1-800.522.6156 www.gomersdecorators.com w.this ad. NOW AVAILABLE 0% Financing See store for details. $20 OFF with purchase of $200 or more *Not to be combined w/other offers. Expires 7/12/13 *Not to be combined w/other offers. Expires 7/12/13
QC07042013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above