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PATERSON, N.J. (AP) — A northern New Jersey man has pleaded not guilty to charges that he threw lit firecrackers outside a synagogue while shouting "Allahu akbar."
NJ.com (http://bit.ly/1KzdnQ5 ) reports 21-year-old Rizek Musheisen, of Clifton, entered the plea Monday in state Superior Court. He faces two counts of bias intimidation.
Authorities say Musheisen got out of a car in April in front of a Passaic synagogue and lit the firecrackers while yelling the Arabic phrase for "God is great."
Musheisen's attorney, Harley Breite, says his client "is not a racist" and won't consider a plea deal. He remains free on bail.
Breite also questioned why other men in the car, including the driver, weren't charged.
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Information from: NJ.com, http://www.nj.com
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