New York Muslim student severely injured in acid attack

ILLINOIS, US

Police in Long Island, New York are on the hunt for a man who threw acid into the face of Muslim college student last month, as she walked into her home.

A statement from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) says 21-year-old Nafiah Ikram spent 15 days in the hospital, and was left blinded; her face, chest and arms were severely burned.

Surveillance video from outside her home shows Ikram following her mother into the home on Long Island, on the night of March 17. A slim man, appearing to wear a hoodie and wearing gloves, races up behind her from the sidewalk, throws the acid, then races away.

Police are offering $100,000 dollars in reward money for information on the case.

CAIR-NY is demanding the attack be investigated as a possible "hate crime", although police have not yet made that determination.

Hofstra University, where Ikram is a student, released a statement, saying the school is "shocked by this horrific attack."

A GoFundMe campaign has so far raised over $300,000 to help cover Ikram's medical expenses.

Padma Lakshmi, who hosts "Top Chef" and "Taste The Nation" on the Bravo television network, took to social media to say that she is close with Ikram's family.

"This is their only daughter; she has her whole life ahead of her," Lakshmi wrote. "This is the nightmare of any parent for this to happen to your child."