Toronto police release images of suspect accused of assaulting woman wearing hijab on bus

Video circulating online appears to show a man kicking a woman and yelling profanities at her. John Mussleman reports.

Toronto police have released images of a suspect who allegedly assaulted a woman wearing a hijab on a Durham Region Transit bus in Scarborough on Monday.

Police are investigating it as a suspected hate-motivated assault. The incident was captured on video and was posted on social media by the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM).

“We are outraged by a recent incident of Islamophobia that occurred on the Durham Transit,” the NCCM said.

According to the group, the victim was a woman wearing a hijab, and at one point, the suspect called her a “terrorist.” In the video, a man is heard yelling expletives before getting up and kicking the woman.

A female passenger beside the woman, who the NCCM said was also wearing a hijab, screams at the man who moved to the front of the bus.

“Hey! You don’t want to hit girls just because we’re Muslim,” the woman yells at the man. “You need to learn that if you can’t respect people, you sit quietly. If you can’t sit quietly, then get off the bus.”

In a news release on Friday night, Toronto police said the suspect approached the victim while on the bus and allegedly made several derogatory and anti-Muslim comments before assaulting her.

The victim suffered minor injuries, police said. The man later exited the bus.

Police said the suspect and the victim are not known to each other.

The suspect is described as a man, 30 to 40 years old, with a heavy build. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and a camouflage baseball hat with a Canada logo.

The NCCM said the incident should set off alarms at all levels of government, given that it occurred in broad daylight aboard a public bus.

“Violent Islamophobia continues to be on the rise,” the NCCM said. “We cannot afford to wait until an incident like this turns to murder yet again; all levels of government must condemn and take concrete action.”

In a statement to CP24 on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Region of Durham said its transit agency is fully co-operating with the investigation.

“Durham Region Transit is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for transit customers,” the spokesperson said.