10-Year-Old Muslim Boy Sues MTA, Was Called Terrorist And Denied Ride

SMH. Is the fear of another terrorist attack so high that even an innocent little boy is perceived as a threat?

According to NY Daily News reports:

A 12-year-old Brooklyn boy says in a lawsuit that he was barred from boarding a city bus after the driver heard the youngster reciting a Muslim prayer and branded him a “terrorist.”

The unidentified plaintiff was searching for his MetroCard as the B36 Bus pulled up on Sheepshead Bay Road last October, according to the suit, filed Friday in Brooklyn Federal Court.

He began reciting a Muslim prayer: “I stand in the name of God the most merciful, the most beneficent,” the suit states. The driver became alarmed, called the boy a “terrorist” and slammed the door shut, the boy’s lawyer, Hyder Naqvi, told the Daily News.

“The driver said ‘Get off!’” and used the T-word,” Naqvi said, referring to the word “terrorist.”

The lawyer said the boy was so hurt afterwards that he was didn’t want to use public transportation, but later he became angry and is resolved to right the wrong.

“He was two days shy of turning 11 when this happened, but he’s old enough to know what it feels like to be discriminated against,” Naqvi said.

The boy is referred to in the civil complaint only by his initials, “C.S.,” as per the court rules for plaintiffs who are minors.

The boy’s parents reported the incident to NYC Transit, but they were never informed of the results of an investigation, Naqvi said. The lawyer added that the boy can identify the driver.

A spokesman for NYC Transit had no immediate comment. The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages.

How much do you think he should be awarded? What would you have done?

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