Muslim MTA worker in hijab pushed down stairs, called ‘terrorist’

A Muslim New York City Transit employee who was wearing a hijab with her uniform was injured when she was pushed down the stairs at Grand Central Terminal Monday morning by a man who called her a “terrorist,” officials said.

The 45-year-old woman was on her way to work at 6:20 a.m. when the man confronted her on the 7 Train.

“You’re a terrorist and you shouldn’t be working for the city,” the hate-monger spewed at her while the two were on the train, as he jabbed at her MTA patch.

He followed her off the train and pushed her down the stairs. Her ankle and knee were injured and she was taken to NYU Langone Hospital.

“This is the great state of New York – we welcome people of all cultures, customs and creeds with open arms,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement about the incident that also outlined other attacks involving the MTA, including hate graffiti and literature on trains. “We do not allow intolerance or fear to divide us because we know diversity is our strength and we are at our best when we stand united.”

His comments mirrored those made earlier by Mayor Bill de Blasio over a string of bias crimes, including a Muslim cop who was the victim of a hate crime over the weekend.

“I was sick to my stomach when I heard that one of our officers was subjected to threats and taunting simply because of her faith,” the mayor said of NYPD Officer Aml El Sokary, at a news conference in Lower Manhattan Monday.

“We can’t allow this,” he said of the Saturday attack. “It’s unacceptable in this city. It’s unacceptable in this nation.”

Sokary had just parked her car when she came upon a dispute involving the hate-monger and her teenage son on Ridge Boulevard and 67th Street in Bay Ridge. The man was pushing her son, police sources said.

“ISIS b—-h,” the sources said the man yelled at her when she got involved. “I will cut your throat. Go back to your country,”

The officer wasn’t armed and didn’t identify herself as a cop, and the man, who lives in the neighborhood, ran off, police said. He was later identified as Christopher Nelson, 26, and was arrested Sunday afternoon, police said. He has four prior arrests.

“He actually threatened her with his pit bull,” Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said.

El Sokary, who attended the news conference, described herself as unbiased in her own policing.

“I help everybody, no matter what’s your religion, what’s your faith,” she said. “I’m born and raised here, and I’m here to protect that, and I know that my department and my city is here to protect me.”

Commissioner James O’Neill said he met her two years ago after she rescued people from fire in Brooklyn. She was being treated for smoke inhalation at the time.

“Thank you for your service and I’m sorry this happened to you and your son,” the top cop said. “There’s no place for that in New York City.”

Boyce said hate crimes in the city are up 35 percent from last year and arrests in hate crimes are up 45 percent. He said there was a “huge spike” right after election day but that it’s started to slow a bit.

There have been 43 cases since election day versus 20 in the same time period last year as of Sunday. He said most of the cases are anti-semitic – 24 versus eight. The anti-Muslim number is four versus two – not including the Monday attack at Grand Central.