Police probe attack on Black Muslim woman
Incident at Edmonton LRT station among string of hate-motivated assaults
The National Council of Canadian Muslims is condemning a recent attack on a Black Muslim woman at an Edmonton LRT station and calling for action from police to address a recent string of hate-motivated activity in the city.
In a release Wednesday through the organization, the woman said she was waiting at Century Park LRT station last week when a man approached her and threatened to physically assault and kill her.
The woman, referred to by the pseudonym M.W., was wearing a hijab and said the man swore and gestured toward her with a fist.
Following the council's news release, Edmonton Police Service (EPS) spokesman Scott Pattison confirmed they are aware of the incident and it is still under investigation. The hate crimes and extremism unit has met with the woman to confirm details of the attack and offer support, Pattison said in a statement.
This is the sixth hate-motivated attack under investigation by Edmonton police since December and the third at a city transit facility.
Sameha Omer, the council's director of legal affairs, is calling on Edmonton police to do more to address this increase.
“We need to see EPS take concrete action to address the recent trend of hate-motivated incidents, racism and Islamophobia, particularly against Black Muslim women, through a clear action plan. This may necessitate a review of internal policies and procedures that deal with the reporting of such incidents and intake by police officers,” Omer said in the release.
The woman said she received assistance from transit peace officers and an ETS bus driver in the area, but she didn't get the support she needed when she contacted a police station after the incident, so she reached out to her local councillor's office.
In response, Pattison said police are reviewing this initial interaction to ensure “customer service
expectations were met.”
Mayor Don Iveson said he became aware of the incident last Friday when the woman reached out to his office and he had a conversation with her that day, connecting her to the National Council of Canadian Muslims.
Iveson said these hate-motivated assaults have no place in Edmonton and the city will work to combat racism through the anti-racism advisory committee and the community safety and well-being task force.
“These behaviours are un-edmontonian, though clearly there are individuals here who have not gotten the message,” Iveson said in a statement.
“Muslim women deserve to feel safe in our city — and I'm deeply troubled that these incidents have endangered fear for M.W. and other women in our city.”
Police are asking residents to be vigilant by reporting any suspicious activity and offering aid to victims until police arrive, if it can be done safely.