<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3UqvhE_1H4Lw2vK00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3UqvhE_1H4Lw2vK00" width="724" height="409" ></figure>CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — A reported incident of religious harassment outside a Champaign grocery store has raised safety concerns among members of the local Muslim community, with some women saying they are reconsidering everyday activities out of fear of being targeted.Champaign police are investigating an Oct. 22 incident outside Harvest Market on South Neil Street after a woman reported being approached and threatened because of her religion.Jessica Yesen, a member of the Champaign-Urbana Muslim Action Committee, said incidents like this have left some Muslim women concerned about their safety."We don't want to go out when it's dark. We don't want to go out without either another woman with us or like our husbands or uncles," said Yesen.Yesen said those concerns come from personal experience, describing incidents in which she says she was harassed while driving."I had a lady almost run me off the road as I was turning off of University and she gave me the finger and told me F Palestine and then another guy who spit at my car," said Yesen.According to Champaign police, the October incident happened as a woman was returning her grocery cart outside Harvest Market. Police said someone approached her and made threatening comments about her religion.The two separated, and the woman later filed a police report.Police said an officer has since interviewed the woman and investigators have collected video evidence. However, authorities have not identified the person involved and say they have limited information to work with.Yesen said her immediate concern after learning about the incident was whether the woman had been physically harmed."That was my first concern. Is she okay? Did anybody put hands on her?" said Yesen.But she said hearing about another reported incident of religious harassment was not surprising."The next thing was not really shock. This is pretty normal," said Yesen.Yesen said the Champaign-Urbana Muslim Action Committee has seen an increase in reports of harassment involving Muslims and Arabs, although she did not provide specific figures.She also believes many incidents go unreported because some people have become accustomed to experiencing harassment.The organization maintains an online hate incident tracker where residents can document their experiences. Yesen said collecting those reports is important to understanding how often incidents occur and advocating for change."But we've been trying to get better about it because without the data we can't really speak up on it and change legislation regarding it," said Yesen.The Champaign-Urbana Muslim Action Committee encourages anyone who experiences religious harassment to submit a report through its website.Champaign police urge anyone facing an immediate threat to call 911. Other incidents can be reported to police through the nonemergency number at 217-333-8911.Police said the investigation into the reported incident outside Harvest Market remains active as investigators continue working to identify the person involved.</div></body>

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — A reported incident of religious harassment outside a Champaign grocery store has raised safety concerns among members of the local Muslim community, with some women saying they are reconsidering everyday activities out of fear of being targeted. Champaign police are investigating an Oct. 22 incident...

Reported religious threats spark safety concerns in Champaign

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — A reported incident of religious harassment outside a Champaign grocery store has raised safety concerns among members of the

Reported religious threats spark safety concerns in Champaign

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