On Wednesday at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, Muslim woman Rabeeya Khan was going about her work day as an employee of Delta Airlines while wearing her hijab, Reuters reports. Nearby, a 57 year-old man, Robin Rhodes, had just landed from Aruba and was waiting for his connecting flight home. What should have been a normal day at the airport for both changed when, while Khan worked in an office at Delta Airlines’ Sky Lounge, Rhodes assaulted her.
Rhodes approached the office door and said to Khan, “Are you sleeping? Are you praying? What are you doing?” He then punched the door, causing it to hit Khan’s leg. Following this, Rhodes threatened the woman and kicked her right leg, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement, according to Reuters. When Khan tried to leave the office, Rhodes blocked her in until someone noticed the scene and tried to calm him down. At this point, Khan was able to run from the office but was followed by Rhodes. When the pair reached the front desk, he began to imitate Muslim prayer by getting down on his knees and bowing, BBC reports. Brown says that Rhodes also shouted “Trump is here now. He will get rid of all of you. You can ask Germany, Belgium and France about these kind of people. You will see what happens.”
Reuters reports that Khan is okay, but her right leg is hurt and she was, obviously, afraid the situation could have been worse.
Rhodes now faces nine hate crime charges. They include third-degree assault, second-degree unlawful imprisonment, and first-degree harassment. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.