A hijab-wearing woman who was nearly set on fire at an Ontario library over the weekend is speaking out about the “absolute horror” of what police have said was an unprovoked attack.
The victim’s statement was read aloud by a member of the advocacy group National Council of Canadian Muslims at a news conference on Monday afternoon.
“I never imagined that a visit to my favourite, quiet corner of the library would turn into one of the most terrifying moments of my life,” said the victim’s statement read by senior advocacy officer Fatema Abdalla.
Durham Regional Police say a woman was studying at the Ajax Public Library at noon on Saturday, when she was approached by an unknown woman yelling profanities at her and throwing objects at her head.
Police say the 25-year-old suspect then tried to remove the woman’s hijab while pouring an unknown liquid onto it.
“I can’t stop thinking, ‘What if the lighter had worked? What if my hijab had caught on fire?'” said the victim’s statement.
Police said the suspect fled the library, but was arrested a few hours later and charged with two counts of assault with a weapon and three counts of failing to comply with probation order.
NCCM CEO Stephen Brown said the organization is strongly urging police to investigate the incident as a hate crime.
“It is an outrage that this kind of violence has become a regular occurrence in our community. Incidents of Islamophobia have increased exponentially in recent years. It is time for our elected leaders to step up and address this issue collaboratively.”
The NCCM’s chief operating officer described the attack as “horrific.”
“I wasn’t shocked, I was frustrated. I was angry that our community still has to deal with this type of behaviour — angry that we have been told by so many that Islamophobia doesn’t exist,” said Omar Khamissa.
With the federal election approaching, the group said it’s calling on all political parties to come up with detailed plans on how to address Islamophobia, pointing to the 2021 London, Ont., terror attack that killed four members of a Muslim family and the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting that left six men dead and 19 others injured as examples of hate turning deadly.
The group also says its intake line has received hundreds of calls about Islamophobia-related incidents over the past year, though such incidents are likely underreported to police due to a lack of trust by communities.
Ajax’s deputy mayor Sterling Lee also spoke at Monday’s news conference, calling the incident a “shocking reminder” that the community “is not immune to the intolerance and hatred that persist in our world.”
The Town of Ajax released a statement on Sunday saying: “The library strives to be a safe and welcoming space for everyone, and acts of hate and violence will not be tolerated in any town facility or public space.”
