British tourist’s Muslim dress set on fire in New York
A British holidaymaker was attacked on New York’s Fifth Avenue by a man who set fire to her traditional Muslim clothing.
Police said the tourist, who was staying in a Manhattan hotel, was returning from sightseeing when the man lit her sleeve with a cigarette lighter.
She was able to put out the fire with her hands and didn’t suffer any injury, they said.
Police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
They confirmed the woman is from Scotland.
The incident was caught on CCTV and police are calling for witnesses to come forward.
After news of the attack, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said such incidents were on the rise.
"We are clearly seeing a spike in attacks on individual Muslims and Islamic institutions in New York and around the country, which should be of concern to all Americans," said executive director Afaf Nasher.
The organization is calling on the New York mayor to commit more resources to fighting hate crime in the city.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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