Pair Face Hate-Crime Charges in Assault Case

Two men of Iranian Muslim descent have been charged with assault and commission of a hate crime against a man of Iranian Jewish descent in a Sept. 15 incident outside a West Hollywood nightclub, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Daoud Mohammed Majid,19, and Mohammed Hassan Aref, 22, both of Los Angeles, are scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court in Beverly Hills on Monday.

The charges were disclosed Wednesday by the district attorney’s office following a lengthy investigation and review after the men were arrested by sheriff’s deputies in West Hollywood at the time of the incident.

Majid and Aref are now charged with “assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury,” a felony, with hate-crime enhancements of acting voluntarily and in concert with others.

According to witness accounts, Majid, Aref and up to 15 others who have not been identified chanted, “Kill the Jews!” as they kicked the victim on the ground, authorities alleged. The incident followed a “Persian night” promotion at the Goodbar nightclub.

The president of the Council of Iranian-American Jewish Organizations, George Haroonian, said Wednesday:

“I am satisfied that the district attorney has decided to file the charges and proceed on this case, particularly with the charge of hate-crime enhancement, because, frankly, my hope is that this case will be a teaching situation for the young Iranian Muslims in this community, about tolerance and accepting others and respecting others’ rights.”

The assault alleged in this case is not connected to several attacks on gay men in West Hollywood about the same time.