Source/Credit: New York Daily News
By Justin Tinker, John Lauinger & Bill Hutchinson | Daily News Writers
Posted: October 11, 2010
Muslim boy says four bullies made his life a living hell in the halls of a Staten Island public school, calling him a "terrorist" and beating him every chance they got.
The victim, a 16-year-old high school freshman, told his father and the police of the constant abuse he endured, prompting the arrests Sunday of his teen tormenters on suspicion of hate crimes.
"[They] punched me in my groin, and I fell to the floor. They started kicking me, and calling me 'You f---in' terrorist,' 'You f---in' Muslim,'" the victim, Kristian, told the Daily News.
Word of Kristian's emotionally scarring ordeal comes during a disturbing spike in hate crimes across the city, highlighted by Friday's sadistic Bronx gang torture of two teens and an adult because they were gay.
Kristian - his voice shaky, his hands clenched in his lap - and his parents spoke to The News on grounds their last name not be used.
The boy, the American-born, only child of Trinidadian immigrants, said the abuse began in October 2009 while he was a student at the Edwin Markham Intermediate School. He said the almost-daily abuse didn't end until he graduated from the school in June.
He finally told his father when he began his freshman year last month at Port Richmond High School and saw two of the bullies sitting in one of his classes; he hasn't returned to class since.
"I think I can't go through a year like this again," said the soft-spoken victim, who first told his story to the Staten Island Advance.
The four suspects - three 14-year-old Latinos and a 15-year-old African-American - were arrested on charges of assault and aggravated harassment - both as hate crimes. They were all released to their parents and are expected to be formally charged as early as today as minors. Their names were not made public.
Kristian said the bullying began when the thugs first called him gay and quickly escalated to him being battered for his Muslim heritage and blamed for terrorist bombings.
"I was very scared that if I told the teachers...they would beat me up more," Kristian said.
He said he remained silent, hoping and praying they would stop.
"It kept going on," he said. "The kids were in my class and they would see me in the halls."
He said one of the teen thugs brazenly attacked him in class, in front of a teacher.
"[He] touched me here and here," he said, pointing to his left elbow and forehead.
The teacher scolded the menace, saying, "'Why did you do that for? He's a good boy. Leave him alone. Why do you keep bothering him?'"
Outside of class, things got worse.
"Four kids punched me everywhere. They would spit in my face, and kick and punch me. I had injuries," Kristian said.
Once he was kicked so hard he had blood in his urine and had to go and see his doctor.
His father, whose first name is Shaffiate, said Kristian, a once-promising student and gifted piano player, has given up music and his grades have suffered.
"He's afraid to go outside alone," the father said.
The family wants him transferred to a new school.
jlauinger@nydailynews.com
With Rocco Parascandola
Read original post here: Muslim teen beaten, called a 'terrorist' by classmates says he stayed silent out of fear
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