Photo Courtesy of Google
The victim was attacked as he opened the door to this mosque in Kew Gardens Hills.
By Forum Staff
The bias-related attack of a worshipper at a Flushing mosque in November 2012 has led to the conviction of a Rego park man four years after the commission of the crime.
Bernhard Laufer, 59, of 99-68 65 Road in th the Forest Hills/Rego Park has been convicted at trial for attempted murder as a hate crime and other crimes.
The victim was opening the door to the house of worship when the defendant pounced on him – stabbing him repeatedly and biting the man’s nose.
“Crimes fueled by hate will never be tolerated here in Queens County – the most diverse urban area in the entire nation. A jury weighed all the evidence in this case and within hours convicted the defendant of a hate crime for the vicious attempted murder of a Muslim man. The defendant has proven himself a danger to society and warrants a lengthy incarceration,” District Attorney Brown said.
Laufer was convicted of second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, first-degree attempted assault as a hate crime, second-degree assault as a hate crime, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and fourth-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime following a 2½-week-long jury trial.
The presiding judge indicated that he would sentence Laufer on December 14, at which time he faces up to 25 years in prison.
Trial testimony revealed that on November 16, 2012, the defendant vandalized the Masjid Al-Saaliheen Mosque, located at 72-55 Kissena Boulevard, by smashing the door and breaking the door handle with a stone. Later that day, and on the following day, the defendant called the mosque several times leaving threatening messages on the answering machine. On November 18, 2012, at approximately 4:50 a.m., the defendant followed the victim, Bashir Ahmad, 57 at the time, up the stairs leading into the mosque and then as Mr. Ahmad was unlocking the front door, the defendant stabbed Mr. Ahmad in the head. Mr. Ahmad turned around to see the defendant standing behind him and the defendant continued his attack by biting Mr. Ahmad’s nose and stabbing him in the back, leg and thumb. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. The defendant left the scene but dropped his eyeglasses during the attack. DNA evidence was found on the spectacles that matched the defendant. Investigators also testified that threatening calls made to the mosque days before the attack were placed from the defendant’s home phone.
