Frank D. Pasquarello, Cambridge Police Department (CPD) spokesperson, was out of the city yesterday and said he would not provide any information about the assault. A watch commander declined to comment last night.

When an incident is investigated as a hate crime, the victim is often entitled to a greater degree of privacy, so full details are not normally available. Still, police agencies will usually list the matter as being part of a "confidential report" on their public log. But when checked last night, no mention of Tuesday's incident appears in the CPD's police log.

The Harvard student who reported Tuesday's assault spent yesterday with his friends, including several members of HIS.

"Our first priority is taking care of his needs," Yasin said. "This kind of incident can be very isolating."

Yasin sent an e-mail message to HIS members last night, warning students to be aware of their surroundings.

But Yasin said there is no reason to stop wearing Islamic garb in public.

"We're not going to cave in and allow the threats and violence of other people to affect how we express our identity," he said.

Dunster House Senior Tutor John T. O'Keefe sent an e-mail message to Dunster residents late last night alerting residents to the attack.