Canada: Calls grow for national anti-Islamophobia plan after hijab-wearing woman harassed in front of children

Canada: Calls grow for national anti-Islamophobia plan after hijab-wearing woman harassed in front of children
———————————————————
Calls for stronger action against Islamophobia in Canada have intensified after a video showed a Muslim woman wearing a hijab being verbally abused in front of her two children near Western University in London, Ontario.

The man, who was sitting in a car, reportedly told the woman that her hijab contradicted Christian values and that Muslims did not belong in Canada. Two passersby intervened to defend and support her.

Muslim lawyer and community activist Nuseeba Al-Azem said the woman continues to suffer psychological distress following the incident. She called for a comprehensive national strategy to combat Islamophobia through stronger protections, public awareness and action against hate speech.

London police confirmed that no criminal charges had been laid, classifying the incident as a hate-motivated occurrence that did not necessarily meet the legal threshold for a criminal offence.