Local Muslim Woman Receives Hate Messages On Facebook
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The anti-Muslim rhetoric on the Presidential campaign trail and beyond is having an impact on Philadelphia's Islamic community.
First a pig's head is thrown at a mosque and now-- an uptick in complaints from area Muslims where women are the latest targets.
"When you're walking down the street you have to look like-- don't mess with me"
A lifelong Muslim, Aliya Khabir literally wears her religion.
She dons a khimar that covers the head and the breasts and the neck.
But in recent weeks, Khabir believes it is this modest dress- required by Islam- that has attracted hate messages online.
"Messages about how horrible I am to follow such a horrible religion," Khabir explained.
Khabir says she and other women in her community are concerned they are becoming targets after a female gunman- Tashfeen Malik- was shown to take part in the San Bernardino Shootings.
"There's a female face so now, people feel justified in saying it's not just the men, it's all of them," Khabir told Eyewitness News.
"The rhetoric in the country right now is so bad. That it is showing targeted acts of discrimination and injustice," Rue Landau said.
Landau runs the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission and says they've seen a fast uptick in complaints from area Muslims... hours after a pig's head was found outside of a North Philadelphia mosque.
"Various people have told us stories about getting eggs thrown at their house and it's all coming out now," Landau explained.
For Khabir, these messages of hate, have nothing to do with her as she doesn't know anyone affiliated with ISIS.
