News/Commentary

Ex-Obama official arrested, charged with hate crime for abuse of Muslim food vendor

November 24, 2023 | | Print Article

A former Obama administration official started off his Thanksgiving Day in court after he was charged for verbally abusing a halal street vendor with Islamaphobic language in New York City earlier this month.

On Wednesday, Stuart Seldowitz was arrested and charged under the city’s hate crime laws over the incident in which he accused the unnamed 24-year-old Muslim man of being a terrorist, made derogatory remarks about his religion, and asked: “did you rape your daughter like Muhammad did?.”

The 64-year-old former State Department employee and National Security Council official had a number of similar encounters with the vendor with the bigoted remarks captured on video and posted to social media where they went viral.

“What do you think of that? People who use the Quran as a toilet. Does it bother you? Does it bother you? Tell me the truth? You don’t speak English? That’s too bad,” Seldowitz told the man in the video clip. “That’s why you’re selling food in in a food cart, because you’re ignorant, but you should learn English. It’ll help you when they deport you back to Egypt.”

“I’ll send your picture to my friends in immigration. The Mukhabarat in Egypt will get your parents. Does your father like his fingernails? He’ll take them out one by one,” the former government official said.

“I did have an argument with a food vendor,” Seldowitz told City & State on Tuesday. “It is quite possible that it’s me. I mean, I’ve not seen the video, but I believe it’s probably me.”

ADVERTISEMENT

“I regret the whole thing happened and I’m sorry,” he added. “But you know, in the heat of the moment, I said things that probably I shouldn’t have said.”

The videos caught the attention of local and state Democrat officials who condemned the ex-Obama official on X.

“Islamophobia is hate. Plain and simple,” said embattled Gotham Mayor Eric Adams. “This vile, disrespectful rhetoric has no home in our city. We reject it — and we’re glad to see we’re not alone.”

“This is hateful, disgusting and unacceptable,” wrote New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “Vile rhetoric like this has no place in New York, and we condemn it in the strongest of terms.”

“This is disgusting, hateful, and New York won’t tolerate it. We won’t stand for Islamophobia or any kind of hate in our state,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James who took a break from her persecution of GOP frontrunner Donald J. Trump to comment on the issue.

ADVERTISEMENT

On Wednesday, Seldowitz was paid a visit by the authorities with the perp walk being caught on video and posted to social media.

Seldowitz appeared before Judge James G. Clynes in Manhattan Criminal Court where he pleaded not guilty and was released on bail. He was charged with second-degree aggravated harassment and two counts of stalking under the Big Apple’s hate crime laws.

His arrest comes after the Biden regime announced its “first-ever national strategy to counter Islamophobia.”

ADVERTISEMENT

“If I had to do it all over again, I would not have raised the religious aspect,” Seldowitz told City & State, denying that he has any animosity toward Muslims. “I don’t think I’m an Islamophobic guy. I’ve spoken up for equal treatment of Muslims on numerous occasions with numerous different people.”

Chris Donaldson
Latest posts by Chris Donaldson (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles