The Council on American- Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on local, state and national law enforcement authorities to investigate an attack on a New York Muslim as a possible hate crime.

CAIR said the attack took place early Sunday morning outside a Lackawanna, N.Y., restaurant. The victim, a 26-year-old man of Yemeni heritage, said one of the white male assailants called him a "f**king Arab" as the attack began. Another attacker allegedly picked the victim up from behind and threw him to the ground, rendering him unconscious.

The victim says he suffered a fractured nose and a fracture under one eye. He also received staples on the back of his head and six stitches on his face.

A representative of the local office of the FBI told CAIR that the case is being evaluated. [Link]