A man was charged with first-degree assault as a hate crime after violently attacking a woman wearing a Muslim veil on a subway train in New York, according to the Queens County District Attorney's Office on Friday.

The assailant, identified as Naved Durni, 34, allegedly asked the woman if she was Muslim and where she was from. When she answered yes, the man slapped her and brutally beat her while the two were traveling on an E train, which connects Queens and Manhattan.

The attack occurred on Wednesday, and Durni was arrested shortly afterwards. The victim suffered fractures to his nasal and orbital bones, as well as bruising and swelling, and was treated at a local hospital.

Durni faces multiple charges of assault and harassment, and could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. The judge ordered him held without bail and set the next court hearing for June 23.

“Intolerance, hatred, and violence against the Muslim community or any community that suffers discrimination will result in serious consequences from my office,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

More broadly, threats have also been reported against Muslim public figures, such as Democratic Assemblyman and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who reported receiving threatening calls in which he was called a “terrorist” and warned that he and his family “are not welcome in the US” Police are investigating the case.

Mamdani expressed concern about the rise in Islamophobia, recalling the recent murder of a Muslim state senator in Minnesota and her husband, who has raised concerns in vulnerable communities.