Victim speaks out after woman allegedly tried to light her hijab on fire inside Ajax library
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 the alleged attack.
The victim's statement was read aloud by a member of the National Council of Canadian Muslim 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."
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