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1 year ago
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The New York City street cart vendor who was racially harassed by former Obama adviser Stuart Seldowitz in a series of vile rants has spoken for the first time to share his story with DailyMail.com, insisting he did nothing to provoke the abuse and has now been left fearful to go to work.
Mohammad, 24, did not wish to give his full name when interviewed on Wednesday morning.
He described how two weeks ago, 64-year-old Seldowitz started harassing him at random, asking him where he was from and then scolding him about the war with Hamas in Israel and Gaza.
Now, he is scared to go to work or 'fight' with a man who holds so many political connections.
Mohammad, 24, did not wish to give his full name when interviewed on Wednesday morning. He told DailyMail.com he was just trying to earn a living when Seldowitz approached him two weeks ago asking where he was from
Stuart Seldowitz, 64, apologized last night after the videos went viral. He threatened to report the young vendor to immigration and labeled him a 'terrorist'
Seldowitz was filmed three times berating Mohammad who works at a truck one block from where Seldowitz lives
NYC City Council Member Julie Menin - the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor - announced that he was being investigated by the 19th Precinct
Seldowitz apologized last night, telling City and State in an interview that he regretted what he said in the 'heat of the moment'.
Speaking in Arabic with his boss translating, Mohammad told DailyMail.com he feels 'hurt'.
'He's scared. He is just a worker, now he's fighting someone with connections and a lot of power,' Islam Mustafa, the owner of the business, said.
Mohammad said the incidents began at random on November 7.
When DailyMail.com visited the cart on Wednesday, there were no pro-Palestine flags or posters there.
Owners insist they have never displayed any kind of political posters or messaging, and that they just want to 'serve the community'.
'We've been here for years and we have no issues with anybody. We have been here since the [Q] train opened so around six or seven years, and we've had zero problems.
'Our staff have any criminal records, no issue with anyone, we're all well-educated,' he said.
Seldowitz, he said, approached at random and started asking him where he was from.
Mohammad, 24, said he did nothing to provoke the attacks and has now been left afraid
The street cart in Yorkville on Manhattan's Upper East Side serves Halal food
Cart owner Islam Mustafa, left in black, told DailyMail.com how Seldowitz started harassing his staff a week ago. He is shown with Ahmed Mohian (right) his business partner
He then began berating him about the war, and accusing him of supporting Hamas.
A customer called the NYPD but the business owners say the issue was largely ignored. Now, after a swell in public outrage and support for Mohammad, the NYPD is investigating.
'We're extremely upset because of the offensive vocabulary he used. It's unfortunate that it happened.
'We don't have any hate towards anybody. We have all respect for all religions and ideologies, we're not here to feed that hate speech. How could a government official say that kind of stuff?' Mustafa, the business owner, added.
In one video, he threatened Mohammad: 'I'll send your picture to my friends in immigration. The Mukhabarat in Egypt will get your parents. Does your father like his fingernails? He'll take them out one by one.'
In one of his most abhorrent remarks, he said: 'If we killed 4,000 Palestinian kids, it wasn't enough.'
Seldowitz last night apologized, telling City and State that he regretted the incident and 'shouldn't have raised the religious aspect'.
'I feel bad for him, this is how much hate is inside him towards the Islamic religion and Muslim people in general.
The original video, lasting over two minutes, shows Seldowitz speaking to a halal cart vendor, using slurs for Egyptians and then saying intelligence agents in Egypt 'will get your parents'
The government lobbying firm that Seldowitz was working with has now cut ties and is offering to help the street cart vendor launch a lawsuit against him
'And I hope someone helps him. At the same time I hope that some official will give us some justice, if this is considered hate speech then we pray for this guy to get help,' Mustafa said of the former government adviser.
It's unclear exactly the scope in which Seldowitz served during the Obama administration.
He also assisted former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright during negotiations for the Dayton Accord in 1995, othjerwise known as the Bosnian Peace Agreement.
Seldowitz's professional biographies have now been scrubbed from the internet, as have his children's.
One that was online on the website for Gotham Government Relations described him as a former delegate and Middle Eastern adviser to President Obama.
Gotham has now cut all ties with Seldowitz and is offering the vendor free help to launch a lawsuit against him.
'Gotham Government Relations has ended all affiliation with Stuart Seldowitz.
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