Toronto Police Hunt for Suspect in Anti-Muslim Assault on Subway

IQNA – Toronto authorities are on the hunt for a man accused of assaulting a woman and hurling anti-Muslim slurs at her on a TTC subway train in North York last month.

The incident, believed to be motivated by hate, occurred near Yonge Street and Finch Avenue West on May 12, as the victim was commuting with a friend, Toronto Star reported on Saturday.

The suspect, who was a stranger to the victim, allegedly attacked her, prompting intervention from other passengers. He subsequently fled the scene.

The police have characterized the suspect as slim, unshaven, with a beard and moustache.

This incident coincides with a reported 1300% increase in Islamophobic incidents in Canada following the onset of Israeli aggression on Gaza, as stated by the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM).

Stephen Brown, the CEO of NCCM, revealed this statistic while speaking at a committee investigating Islamophobia and antisemitism on Thursday. Presenting evidence to the Commons justice committee, Brown stated that Islamophobia is a “dangerous form of hate” that has seen a significant rise in recent years.

The committee was also informed about the role of social media algorithms in amplifying abhorrent anti-Muslim content, which is manifesting as real-world hate. Brown expressed that Muslim communities are witnessing an unprecedented level of hate and violence “from every level of society.”

Source: Agencies