Khawlah Noman speaks to press after the incident. (Picture courtesy: CBC)
Toronto police are looking for a man who cut off the hijab of a 11-year-old girl on her way to school on Friday.
According to police, the attacker is described as Asian and of medium build, with a thin moustache and wearing black prescription glasses. The incident is being treated as a hate crime.
The girl, Khawlah Noman, a student of a junior public school in Scarborough, Ontario, says she felt the man behind her while she was walking to school with her younger brother and turned around and saw him holding a pair of scissors. She says he ran away as she screamed, but returned a few minutes later. “He continued cutting my hijab again before smiling and running away”, said Khawlah.
The man is said to be in his mid-20s, and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants. Police say the Grade 6 student was not injured, but her hijab had a number of cuts in it.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the attack saying: “My heart goes out to the young girl who was attacked, seemingly for her religion.”
“We all need to remind ourselves of today and every day that we are better than this,” the prime minister added.
A Twitter post said: “A friend gave the girl another hijab to wear. The one she was wearing had a 12-inch gash and is with police as evidence”.
