A Canadian Muslim woman was targeted at a public library on Saturday in what police are calling an unprovoked attack by a suspect who attempted to remove and set the woman’s hijab on fire.
Officers from the Durham Regional Police responded to an assault call at the Ajax Public Library in Ontario, about 50 miles east of Toronto, at around 12 p.m.
“Officers spoke with the victim who advised she was in the library studying when she was approached by an unknown female,” police said in a news release published Sunday. “The female began yelling profanities at the victim and throwing objects at her head.”
Police did not clarify which profanities the suspect yelled at the victim.
Police said the suspect also tried to remove the victim’s hijab, and poured “an unknown liquid on it,” before grabbing a lighter and attempting to set the hijab on fire.
The victim screamed for help and the library’s security intervened, according to police.
“The suspect fled the library but was located by officers a few hours later and taken into custody without incident,” police said.
Kaley-Ann Freier, 25, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with a weapon and three counts of failure to comply with a probation order, police said, adding that “she was held for a bail hearing.”
It is not clear if Freier has an attorney at this time.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, police said, adding that “investigators are required to consult with the Crown Attorney’s office to determine whether the evidence meets the legal threshold for hate to be considered a factor.”
Durham Regional Police and the Crown Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Police are asking anyone with information on the incident to get in touch with their West Division Criminal Investigation Bureau.
In a news conference held Monday by members of Canada’s Muslim community and local Ajax officials, a statement from the victim was read, according to CTV.
“I never imagined that a visit to my favorite, quiet corner of the library would turn into one of the most terrifying moments of my life,” the statement read. “I was simply going to study, as I had many times before, when I noticed a woman murmuring and cursing.”
According to the statement, the woman attempted to ignore this before the suspect began throwing objects at her, and considered speaking to the librarian, but the “situation escalated” before she could.
“I can’t stop thinking, ‘What if the lighter had worked? What if my hijab had caught on fire?’” the statement read. The victim also shared in her statement that she has daughters who wear the hijab, and fears that this could happen to them has shaken her confidence in the safety of community spaces.
Canada is the leading country among G7 nations when it comes to Islamphobia-related deaths in the past seven years, according to Omar Khamissa, the National Council of Canadian Muslims chief operating officer, who spoke at the news conference Monday.
“What happened on Saturday could’ve easily increased that number,” Khamissa said. “Canadians need to know this, they need to know this especially right now as we’re in an election cycle.”
Khamissa said he would like to see every party in Canada come up with a plan on how they will tackle Islamphobia and hate ahead of the upcoming elections, which have been moved from October to next month.
In a statement shared to his X account, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said what happened Saturday “is not an isolated incident.”
“Islamophobia is real, it is dangerous, and it must stop,” he wrote.
New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh called the attack “horrifying.”
“This hate-motivated attack is a reminder that divisive rhetoric is a stain on our country and not part of our Canadian values,” he wrote on X.
