Muslim woman says man asked 'Are you Muslim?' then beat her on subway

CeFaan Kim Image
Friday, June 20, 2025
Muslim woman says man asked 'Are you Muslim?' then beat her on Subway
CeFaan Kim exclusively spoke to the woman who says she is terrified.

QUEENS (WABC) -- A Muslim woman exclusively told Eyewitness News that she was brutally beaten after a man asked her what her religion was and proceeded to attack her.

The attack happened Wednesday at 4 a.m. on a subway in Queens, a borough known for its diversity.

The victim got on the E train at Forest Hills to head to work when a large, hulking man towering over her got in her face nose to nose.

"He said tell me where are you from? Are you Muslim? I said yes. And then he punching me, he start to kick, he punch all over," the victim said.

As soon as the doors closed, the suspect allegedly pummeled her nonstop until it arrived at the next stop, 75th Avenue.

The suspect fled and two women and the conductor helped flag him down for police.

Police arrested 34-year-old Naved Durni and charged him with hate crime assault.

The terrified 55-year-old woman exclusively told Eyewitness News that she wonders if she'll ever be able to forget her attacker's face.

"I just said stop, stop but he not stopping," the victim said.

Her eyes were swollen and bruised from the vicious assault.

"I couldn't understand what was going on," she said

She suffered a concussion, a fractured nose, is bruised all over her body and can barely walk.

The victim says she can't stop seeing his face.

"This trauma with me. It's never happened before. How can I forget his face?"

A GoFundMe for the victim can be found here.


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