On March 9, 2025, ECBAWM filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of New York and individual New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers on behalf of the Council on American-Islamic Relations New York (CAIR-NY), Zarmeen Azam, and Shajnin Howlader who were brutally assaulted, strangled, and had their hijabs forcefully removed by NYPD officers while peacefully protesting.

Being forced to remove a hijab—a headscarf that covers one’s hair, ears, neck, and parts of one’s chest—in public, particularly in the presence of men who are not immediate family, is a profound violation of the wearer’s sincerely held religious beliefs and practices. “Wearing my hijab is an act of faith, identity, and dignity. The NYPD ripped it off me as if none of that mattered. In that moment, I felt not only stripped of my dignity but also my safety and my honor,” Ms. Azam said.

These incidents are not anomalies. “They reflect a disturbing and growing pattern of the NYPD using force and intimidation to suppress peaceful protest and the religious rights of Muslim women. The removal of a hijab is not just an act of aggression—it’s an assault on deeply held religious beliefs,” said ECBAWM Partner, Andrew Wilson.

The NYPD’s practice of using forcible hijab removal as a form of crowd control and intimidation suppresses free speech and religious expression. “The NYPD is demanding New Yorkers choose a First Amendment right to sacrifice—either you can exercise your right to free speech and assembly by peaceably protesting, or you can exercise your right to free exercise of religion by wearing your hijab. That is an unconstitutional choice,” said ECBAWM associate, Hafsa S. Mansoor.

Christina John, Staff Attorney at CAIR-NY, said “this nefarious strategy of silencing Muslim women from protesting and expressing themselves underscores a troubling pattern of misconduct that demands immediate and thorough accountability. As an advocacy organization, it is our duty to ensure the rights of all, including Muslim women who exercise their First Amendment rights, are fully protected.”

“I do not feel confident that the NYPD stands for the safety of women like me. I demand accountability. This should never happen again to another person,” Ms. Howlader said.

The suit also seeks to bar the NYPD from forcibly and publicly removing women’s hijabs, together with compensation for the plaintiffs.

CAIR-NY, Ms. Azam, and Ms. Howlander are represented by ECBAWM attorneys Andrew Wilson and Hafsa Mansoor.

Read the full press release here.

Press:
“Two Muslim women sue NYC alleging hijabs dislodged by NYPD during chaotic 2024 Gaza protest,” The Daily News.

“NYPD Allegedly Removed Hijabs, Assaulted Two Women at Protest,” Bloomberg Law.

“Muslim women sue the NYPD, allege excessive force at anti-war protest,” Gothamist.

“2 Muslim women sue NYC alleging hijabs dislodged by NYPD during chaotic 2024 Gaza protest,” GazetteExtra.