Maryam Khan, a Pakistan-born US lawmaker from the state of Connecticut, was attacked after attending Eid ul Azha prayers with her family in the state’s capital city of Hartford, the American media has reported.

According to The New York Times, police have arrested a man in connection with the attack that took place on Wednesday, during which Khan — the first Muslim elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives and a Democrat — sustained minor injuries.

The suspect was formally charged in state court on Thursday, the report said, quoting police.

“Andrey Desmond, 30, from New Britain, Connecticut, is being held on a $250,000 bond. He was charged with unlawful restraint, assault, breach of peace and interfering with the police,” the report stated.

Police are yet to confirm the motive behind the attack.

The attack

The New York Times report, quoting police, said the attack took place around 11am outside the XL Centre, an arena and conference centre, where congregational prayers were held.

The suspect approached Khan while she was taking pictures with her family outside the centre and made “several suggestive comments”, police said.

He then allegedly tried to prevent her from leaving and assaulted her, a report by NBC News said.

The suspect tried to flee, but a by-stander chased him and held him down, the report quoted the police as saying.

Condemnations

Connecticut House Speaker Matt Ritter and Majority Leader Jason Rojas, among several others, have condemned the attack.

“It is especially painful that Representative Khan was attacked on a holy day of peace and prayer — on a day she should spend with her friends and family. Rep Khan is an amazing leader and person who is committed to faith, love and service — we are sending our well-wishes and support to Maryam and her family,” they said in a joint statement.

They added that State Capitol Police had assured them that they would work with Hartford Police to conduct a “full and thorough investigation”.

Separately, Ritter told a press conference that he had been in touch with Khan since the attack but “she still needed time to recover both mentally and physically”, The New York Times reported.

“It was a very, very scary incident,” the report quoted him as saying.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont also issued a condemnation, saying: “It’s disturbing to me that this happened on a holy day meant to be marked with peaceful prayer. The details of the assault are still unfolding but I know our law enforcement personnel will conduct a thorough investigation into what happened.”

Meanwhile, head of civil rights and advocacy group Council on American–Islamic Relations’ Connecticut chapter Farhan Memon urged law enforcement departments to “investigate a possible bias motive” behind the attack and “to ensure the safety of the Connecticut Muslim community during the ongoing Eid ul Azha celebrations.”

“All too often we have seen American Muslims, or those perceived to be Muslim, targeted by hate because of their attire, race or ethnicity,” Memon highlighted in a statement.