'She was thrown to the ground': Police investigate attack on Muslim woman in Edmonton
An attack on a Muslim woman in Edmonton is being investigated by police.
On Friday, a Black Muslim woman in her 50s was out for a walk in the area of 88 Street and 144 Avenue around 9 p.m. when an attacker approached her from behind and threw her into the pavement.
Jibril Ibrahim, Somali Canadian Cultural Society of Edmonton president, who spoke on behalf of the affected family to CTV News Edmonton and knows them closely, described the incident as hate-motivated.
“She was just walking on the street in the evening, just to get a little bit of fresh air,” Ibrahim said. “She was not expecting all of a sudden someone to grab her by the neck.
“She was thrown on the ground,” he added. “That is where she sustained injuries to her face, lips, even her teeth. Also, her nose now has a crack on it, the doctors are reporting.”
The attacker fled the scene without a word, Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim said that the woman had to be taken to the hospital in a wheelchair because her knees were also injured.
After staying in hospital for the night, the woman was released to recover at home. According to Ibrahim, her entire family is still reeling from the attack.
“The victim is feeling that she has some fear, kind of traumatized by the incident and she doesn’t feel like going out on her own.”
When Ibrahim was talking about the incident to the woman, she disclosed to him that this is not the first time she has been subjected to hate and racism.
He said that many community members are scared to report incidents like this for fear of reprisal.
“A lot of people aren’t reporting it because they are afraid that reporting might cause people to follow them to their house,” Ibrahim shared. “The community, you know when we talk to them they report to us because they feel comfortable that they won’t be able to be recognized and so on.”
Premier Jason Kenney reacted to the attackduring a press conference on Monday. He said he supports mandatory minimum sentences for people convicted of hate motivated attacks.
“If it’s a quote, ‘Minor assault,’ by the time they get a discount for their penal sentence based on time served, and they get automatic release and a slap on the wrist type sentence.It’s not a very strong disincentive.”
When reached out to for comment, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) said that the assault was reported to them and that it isinvestigating the incident.
“The EPS Hate Crimes and Violent Extremism Unit has been made aware (of the incident); however, the investigation remains with the EPS Investigative Response Team (IRT) at this time,” Carolin Maran, a communications advisor with EPS, said in a statement to CTV News Edmonton.
‘WE NEED TO WALK THE TALK’
For Ibrahim, all levels of government need to step up to create coordinated responses so that hate and racism can be properly combatted.
“(People) talk about it, they show their sympathy on Facebook and Twitter but everybody just talks and leaves it there,” he said. “This problem is not going to go away.
“We don’t have to wait to call hate (for what it is) until someone gets killed.”
He believes the definition of hate crime is too narrow and out-of-date. In Ibrahim’s view, adjustments to the criminal code could give law enforcement more tools and the ability to deal with incidents like this.
“We need to look into those definitions and come up with solutions otherwise more and more, we will see more and more similar incidents of what we saw in London, Ontario,” Ibrahim said.
“The Charges now being brought in London should serve as a clear message and deterrent that this kind of action is domestic terrorism,” Mayor Don Iveson, said during a media scrum on Monday.
The provincial government announced a new grant for security upgrades to religious and cultural groups as well as a new community liaison and law enforcement hate crimes unit on Friday. Ibrahim, and others in the Muslim community, believe those measures are simply not enough.
The greatest injustice, Ibrahim shared, that people within the Somali community in Edmonton feel is that they would be safe here after immigrating from war-torn countries.
“They were expecting they could walk on the streets safely but they don’t feel that way at all. It’s very sad that people have to feel that way in their own city.”
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.