'We are horrified': Ajax, Ont., mayor and community react after police say hijab-wearing woman almost lit on fire

Members of the Ajax, Ont., assemblage are expressing however "horrified" they are to perceive officers item a play onslaught wherever a pistillate wearing a hijab was astir acceptable connected fire. According to police, a fishy present faces charges pursuing the incidental astatine a nationalist library.

At noon connected Saturday, Durham Regional Police responded to an battle telephone astatine the main subdivision of Ajax Public Library. Officers indicated the hijab-wearing pistillate was studying until she was allegedly approached by a 25-year-old pistillate who started yelling profanities and throwing objects astatine her head.

Police past stated the fishy tried to region the woman's hijab and poured an chartless liquid onto it. Then, constabulary accidental she grabbed a lighter and tried to acceptable the woman's caput connected fire, until the pistillate screamed for assistance and information got involved.

While the fishy fled, constabulary accidental she was arrested a fewer hours later. Now she's facing wo counts of battle with a limb and 3 counts of failing to comply with probation order. Authorities are inactive investigating the incident.

"On behalf of Ajax Council and the Ajax Library Board, we are horrified by the enactment of unit ... which appears to person been motivated by Islamophobia," a associated connection from Major Shaun Collier and room committee seat Piyali Correya said. "The Library strives to beryllium a harmless and welcoming abstraction for everyone, and acts of hatred and unit volition not beryllium tolerated successful immoderate municipality installation oregon nationalist space."

They continued to accidental they're "here to support" anyone who has been impacted by this attack, and that they purpose to "stand up against each forms of hatred and intolerance." That's particularly the lawsuit due to the fact that the incidental occurred during Ramadan, which runs until March 29.

Canadian Muslim organizations besides shared statements pursuing the news. The National Council of Canadian Muslims indicated it was "horrified, though not shocked" implicit the attempt: "We are outraged to larn of this unprovoked onslaught connected a Muslim woman. ... We are intimately monitoring this lawsuit and powerfully impulse authorities to analyse this battle arsenic a hatred crime."

The Muslim Advisory Council of Canada besides expressed however the incidental "was not random," adding it was a "brazen enactment of Islamophobia and gendered violence" and demanded that "Muslim women merit to consciousness safe."