Thursday, April 9, 2026
28.1 C
New Delhi

‘Anybody want bacon?’: Three men charged for disturbing Muslim students who were praying in Florida

‘Anybody want bacon?’: Three men charged for disturbing Muslim students who were praying in Florida

Three men were charged after they harassed Muslim students with slurs and bacon while they were performing their dawn prayer at a parking garage in the University of South Florida .Police identified the trio: 1) Christopher Svochak of Waco in Texas, 2) Richard Penskoski of Canyon in Oklahoma and 3) Ricardo Yepez of Tampa. None of them are part of the university. The men are accused of storming the Collins Boulevard Parking Garage last week and disrupting a gathering hosted by the Muslim Students Association, according to the Tampa Bay Times. All three face a felony count of disturbing schools and religious assemblies under Florida’s hate crime enhancement statute, as well as misdemeanour charges of disorderly conduct and disrupting a school or lawful assembly. Investigators said the charges followed several days of reviewing video footage that captured the incident.According to students, the group appeared during prayer on the top level of the garage, arriving with props they had prepared ahead of time. One man carried a cardboard box painted black with the words “Kaaba 2.0 Jesus is Lord.” Another wore a white thobe with Jesus is God printed across it. Students said the men moved extremely close to them while they were bowing. Abu Tahir, who was present, said the group stood so near that they feared being kicked or stepped on. He said they hesitated about whether to interrupt their prayer. “We had a thought in our head, do we break the prayer? Do we end the prayer to address whatever is going on?” he said.Others described insults being shouted only inches from their faces. The men yelled “Bow down to lord Jesus Christ” and “Your prophet married a 6 year old,” according to a Reddit post shared by members of the Muslim Students Association. The post also said the men taunted worshippers with bacon once the prayer ended. Islam prohibits consumption of pork and pork products.One student said a man asked “You don’t have a bomb on you do you?” Another comment students recalled was “go back to where you came from”. The Reddit post said one of the men spoke the prophet’s name and then spat on the ground.After the prayer ended the students said the men pointed cameras at them and zoomed in and continued to comment. “We had no idea whether we were going to leave there safely,” Tahir said.Sajid Kahn, another student at the scene, said the group’s behaviour felt deliberately planned and intended to mock their culture and worship. Police said the investigation remains ongoing but there is no bigger threat to the campus, reports the New York Post.

Go to Source

Hot this week

Smart Phones, Smarter Farms: How Digital Tools Are Changing The Daily Lives Of Women Farmers

Show Quick Read Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom By Nidhi Bhasin India’s agricultural transformation is entering a new phase, one shaped not just by seeds and irrigation, but by data, connectivity and digital pla Read More

Dubai Humanitarian airlifts 96 tonnes of medical aid to Afghanistan: UAE-led efforts to support 250,000 beneficiaries

Dubai Humanitarian airlifts 96 tonnes of medical aid to Afghanistan under UAE humanitarian efforts / Image: file Dubai has reinforced its role as a global humanitarian hub; Dubai Humanitarian facilitated the airlift of 96 metric tonn Read More

Is Israel’s Netanyahu the biggest loser of the Iran-US ceasefire?

The US-Iran ceasefire has been a political setback for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is facing criticism for failing to meet key war objectives. Read More

‘Quran Forbids It’: Congress Councillors In Indore Refuse To Sing Vande Mataram

Show Quick Read Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom What began as a routine budget session at Indore Municipal Corporation quickly spiralled into controversy after two Congress councillors declined to sing Vande Mataram. Read More

Topics

Smart Phones, Smarter Farms: How Digital Tools Are Changing The Daily Lives Of Women Farmers

Show Quick Read Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom By Nidhi Bhasin India’s agricultural transformation is entering a new phase, one shaped not just by seeds and irrigation, but by data, connectivity and digital pla Read More

Dubai Humanitarian airlifts 96 tonnes of medical aid to Afghanistan: UAE-led efforts to support 250,000 beneficiaries

Dubai Humanitarian airlifts 96 tonnes of medical aid to Afghanistan under UAE humanitarian efforts / Image: file Dubai has reinforced its role as a global humanitarian hub; Dubai Humanitarian facilitated the airlift of 96 metric tonn Read More

Is Israel’s Netanyahu the biggest loser of the Iran-US ceasefire?

The US-Iran ceasefire has been a political setback for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is facing criticism for failing to meet key war objectives. Read More

‘Quran Forbids It’: Congress Councillors In Indore Refuse To Sing Vande Mataram

Show Quick Read Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom What began as a routine budget session at Indore Municipal Corporation quickly spiralled into controversy after two Congress councillors declined to sing Vande Mataram. Read More

Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways cancels flights to 9 Indian cities until May 15, offers refund

Jazeera Airways Jazeera Airways has suspended its services to nine Indian cities for over a month, citing operational reasons, with the changes taking effect from April 10. Read More

‘This is a calibrated pause, not peace’: Geopolitical expert on why Iran truce looks unstable

ORF Vice President warns of fragile truce, deep mistrust, and risk of renewed escalation in West Asia Go to Source Read More

The End Of Showroom Homes: Why Personal Spaces Are The New Luxury

Perfectly styled interiors are giving way to homes that feel personal, layered, and lived-in. Read More

Related Articles