Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, shown on video assaulting Shohel Mahmud after he began reciting prayer in Arabic

A New York woman who pepper-sprayed a Muslim Uber driver while he was praying has been indicted by the Manhattan district attorney on hate crime charges.

Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, is shown in a surveillance video repeatedly pepper-spraying her Uber driver, Shohel Mahmud. The assault took place in August on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, near the corner of east 65th Street and Lexington Avenue, shortly after Mahmud began reciting a prayer in Arabic.

Guilbeault’s former employer, the public relations and marketing firm D Pagan Communications, wrote on X it is aware of her actions and “don’t condone this behavior”.

      • Zess@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        I’m sure they’re real torn up that some dumbass on the Internet is disappointed in them 🤣

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          I mean, I don’t think they’re ‘some dumbass,’ I don’t know them well enough, but I’m not especially torn up.

        • Sarmyth@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          Some of us actually engage with each other rather frequently because of how small the active user base really is.

            • Sarmyth@lemmy.world
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              3 days ago

              What did I say? I mean I’ve been having lots of engagement with people today. Mostly people pretending I have something against Muslims and then telling me what else I must think based on their imaginary impression of me.

              • Todd Bonzalez@lemm.ee
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                1 day ago

                What did I say?

                You said:

                People just keep trying to imply there’s some bullshit xenophobic message behind me expressing I don’t want people praying around me.

                Those people are right. You are xenophobic against certain religions and cultures, and demand that people conceal their identities around you. By making this point in defense of a woman who pepper sprayed a man for praying, you’re making it abundantly clear that you think violence is an acceptable response to seeing another person pray. You’ve also suggested that praying is somehow a warning sign of violence, which given the fact that the victim in this story was Muslim, clearly reflects what you think of Muslims and their faith.

                • Sarmyth@lemmy.world
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                  1 day ago

                  You’ve jumped to conclusions. My statements weren’t in defense of her actions, they were an example of what it would take to make me concerned for my safety which was not present if the facts given. To rephrase:

                  “If someone started acting suicidal, or like someone was going to die, while driving the car I’m in, I’d fear for my life.”

                  You know how people pontificate online about what it would take to make someone’s crazy behavior happen? And to express where you might draw the line in a similar but still hypothetical situation? Yeah that’s all this was.

                  There’s no hate for any particular religion within me, besides the generic atheist dislike for extremists that harm others.

                • Sarmyth@lemmy.world
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                  3 days ago

                  I didn’t say it was kind. I said it was engaging. But calling someone a disappointment is alot kinder than implying they’re a racist who might assault someone, but I’m living in reality and not just the Lemmy dreamsphere.