(CHICAGO, IL, 1/4/2024) - The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) today welcomes a hate crime charge brought against a man who allegedly hit and made hateful comments against a Palestinian neighbor in Orland Park Wednesday morning.

Terrence P. Clyne, 68, was charged with one count of hate crime and two counts of battery

According to media reports: “Clyne allegedly battered one man after the victim moved garbage cans from one area of a communal driveway to another. It is further alleged that Clyne made hateful comments, referring to the victim’s national Palestinian origin, in response to the garbage can placement before punching the victim in the face.”

“The victim’s wife then approached in an attempt to verbally de-escalate the situation when Clyne made more hateful comments aimed at her while mentioning her Palestinian heritage and moved toward her aggressively. The man stepped between Clyne and the woman and was again punched in the face and physically assaulted by Clyne - causing the victim to be pushed onto his wife.”

SEE: Suburban Chicago man charged with battery, hate speech against Palestinian couple

“We welcome the hate crime charge in this case as an indication that anti-Palestinian attacks will be taken seriously by law enforcement authorities and the alleged perpetrators will face justice,: said CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab.

Earlier today, CAIR-Chicago held a press conference to amplify the voices of Chicago-area Palestinian-American families, alongside doctors and faith leaders, urgently appealing to Governor Pritzker, Mayor Johnson, and Congressman Sean Casten to intervene and address the critical humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.

Yesterday, CAIR-Chicago held a candlelight vigil coinciding with the pretrial proceedings of Joseph Czuba, who is on trial for allegedly murdering a Palestinian-American child.

Video: CAIR-Chicago Holds Vigil for Murdered Palestinian-American Boy

CAIR’s national office recently released new civil rights data showing that it has received a “staggering” 2,171 complaints amid an ongoing wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate.

CAIR-Chicago is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance and understanding.

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CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, arehab@cair.com; Erin P.R. Davis, MCM, Communications Coordinator of CAIR-Chicago, 773-802-8786, epdavis@cair.com.