The household of a Muslim man who was brutally crushed whereas working at a Markham lodge final month say their lives have been endlessly altered by what police are calling a “violent, hate-motivated” assault that some advocates say is without doubt one of the worst they’ve ever seen. Police say the 54-year-old man was assaulted within the early morning hours of Sept. 28, following a verbal altercation the place the suspect’s “demeanor changed when he learned the victim was Muslim,” police said in a news release. At a news conference organized by the National Council of Canadian Muslims Thursday, the wife of the victim said she and her children have watched her husband struggling to breathe, move and eat while recovering in hospital from the life-altering injuries he suffered. “The man we know — strong, patient and full of life — now carries pain that no one should ever have to endure,” she stated. “No wife should have to see her husband like that. No children should have to see their father like that. This was not just an assault, this was an act of hate.” The person’s household doesn’t wish to disclose their names resulting from fears for his or her security. His spouse stated the assault has shattered their perception that Canada is a protected nation. “It has filled our hearts with fear, sadness and disbelief. Our home is no longer filled with laughter. It is filled with worry, with sleepless nights and with the sound of our prayers,” she stated. “I’m speaking today because I do not want any other family to leave this nightmare. I do not want another wife to sit in a hospital bed praying for husband to survive an act of hate.”
Anger, frustration over assault
A number of officers and advocates spoke at Thursday’s information convention about their frustration, anger and disbelief over the assault — whereas calling for motion to fight Islamophobia throughout the nation. “I am not just disappointed or sad. More than anything, I am angry,” stated Omar Khamissa, the chief mobilization officer for Nationwide Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM). “Like all my colleagues and so many in our community, I have seen Muslims across Canada be subjected to continuous attacks. This one just might be one of the worst. It is disgusting.” The assault comes lower than a month after a 54-year-old man was charged with allegedly threatening to explode a mosque and a Muslim household’s home in Newmarket. York Regional Police have charged a 31-year-old Toronto man with assault inflicting bodily hurt and uttering threats in reference to the assault. Deputy Chief Kevin McCloskey stated Thursday that police are discussing with Crown prosecutors whether or not these charges may very well be upgraded to one thing extra extreme. In March of this yr, Durham Regional Police charged a 25-year-old woman with allegedly attempting to assault a hijab-wearing woman in a public library in Ajax. On the time of the incident, police stated the accused grabbed a lighter and tried to set the hijab on hearth however the woman screamed for assist and safety intervened. WATCH | Sufferer in Ajax library assault speaks out:
Canadian Muslim group shares sufferer assertion from Ajax library assault
A 25-year-old woman has been charged for allegedly trying to gentle one other woman’s hijab on hearth at an Ajax library. The Nationwide Council of Canadian Muslims’ senior advocacy officer Fatema Abdalla learn the sufferer’s assertion aloud at a information convention on Monday afternoon.
Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s particular consultant on combatting Islamophobia, stated these sorts of assaults present that Islamophobia stays an ongoing risk that calls for pressing, fast motion from all ranges of presidency, police authorities, colleges and past.
“Muslims in Canada deserve safety, deserve dignity, deserve inclusion in every corner of Canadian life,” she stated at Thursday’s information convention.
“Everyone must stand against Islamophobia and pursue efforts to counter the divisive and dangerous rhetoric and the hateful narratives that are fueling a dangerous climate.”
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