A former White House security adviser who worked under the Obama administration was given a sweetheart deal and ordered to complete anti-bias training after harassing a Muslim cart vendor in November.
Stuart Seldowitz, 64, may have the possibility of having his hate crime charges dismissed if he completes a “26-week anti-bias” training course through the organization, Queens Counseling for Change, Judge Beverly Tatham said on Wednesday, according to the New York Post. Seldowitz went viral in November after being captured in a series of videos making Islamophobic comments and harassing a halal cart vendor in New York City.
Seldowitz had worked as the acting director for the National Security Council South Asia Directorate under former President Barack Obama.
He had also worked as the foreign affairs chairman at Gotham Government Relations, according to a press release from November 2022. In the aftermath of the videos going viral, Gotham Government Relations issued a statement saying it had “ended all affiliation” with Seldowtiz, adding that he hadn’t “contributed” to the company’s work in years.
This man wearing a green jacket was berating and harassing a halal cart vendor off 83rd and 2nd Ave in NYC. Does anyone know who this man is? Planning to report to the authorities. pic.twitter.com/GwklyXpsPH
— Layla 🪬 (@itslaylas) November 21, 2023
In multiple videos, Seldowitz was seen harassing Mohamed Hussein, the Q Halal Cart vendor. Hussein can be heard asking Seldowitz in one video to please “leave” as he is working.
As Seldowitz is seen continuing to stand in front of the vendor’s cart, he can be heard accusing him of supporting Hamas and terrorism.
“I’m an American citizen,” Hussein can be heard telling him.
“You’re an American citizen? How? How did you become an American citizen?” Seldowitz asked, to which he is informed that it’s not his business and is asked once again to leave.
The cart vendor then tells Seldowitz he was born in the United States.
“But, you’re a terrorist, you support terrorism,” Seldowitz tells the man, as he is again told to leave.
In a separate video, Seldowitz is heard making a series of offensive remarks about Hussein’s Islamic faith as he repeatedly says, “I don’t speak English.”
“Seldowitz’s vile verbal abuse and harassment targeting an innocent street vendor were caught on video for all to see,” said Afaf Nasher, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations of New York, said in a statement, according to the New York Times. “The sweetheart deal he received from the Manhattan D.A.’s office is a shameful affront of our justice system and wholly unfitting of his actions.”
A day after Seldowitz had been arrested and charged with two counts of stalking in the fourth degree as a hate crime, along with aggravated harassment in the second degree, he was given supervised release, according to ABC7NY.