New York makes it illegal to forcefully remove hijab

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation this week to target hate crimes on the streets of New York, which includes criminalising the forcible removal of religious clothing, including the hijab.

The legislation consists of three new laws to protect New Yorkers from hate-fuelled violence, including fighting harassment or threats against those who wear religious clothing, enhancing anti-violence education in schools and cracking down on stolen phones.

“Public safety is my top priority, and I’m committed to using every possible tool to keep New Yorkers safe,” Governor Hochul said in a statement. 

“There is more to do to stop hate and prevent violence in our communities. Signing these bills today will create three new laws to help protect New Yorkers and further reduce crime.”

Removing or threatening to remove religious clothing like the hijab or kippah is now classified as aggravated harassment in the second degree and takes effect immediately.

This covers incidents including threats, verbal harassment and physical strikes motivated by one’s identity.

The law amends an existing law. It was introduced by Assembly member Nader Sayegh, a Jordanian-American Democrat, and co-sponsored by Nily Rozic, an Israeli-American Democrat and Assembly woman from Queens.

There were also no votes against the amendments.

This comes after multiple incidents over the year where individuals’ religious clothing has been threatened.

New York has seen a surge in hate crimes over the last five years, with over 1,000 reported instances in 2023, including the targeting of people in religious clothing. One incident included a man pulling off a 16-year-old’s hijab on the subway.

Following 7 October, New York police logged five instances of anti-Muslim hate crimes in the first three weeks.

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services in December 2023 also noted a 417 percent increase in online hate speech against Muslim communities since Israel’s war started.

In April, New York City agreed to pay $17.5m to settle a lawsuit by two Muslim women who said the police violated their rights after forcing them to remove their hijabs before being photographed.