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”.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    121 days ago

    Ain’t got a problem with Muslims. Got a problem with audibly praying while you’re driving me. Just like I’d have a problem with you having an intimate personal phone call with me in the car.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          721 days ago

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

          • Flying Squid
            link
            fedilink
            621 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.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            121 days ago

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

              • @[email protected]
                link
                fedilink
                120 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.

                  • @[email protected]
                    link
                    fedilink
                    220 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.

                • Todd Bonzalez
                  link
                  fedilink
                  119 days 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.

                  • @[email protected]
                    link
                    fedilink
                    119 days 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.