A McGill student has filed a police report after an assault she says she believes was linked to her face veil.
Fatima Ahmad was walking to the Charelvoix metro Monday when she says a man came up to her, shoved her in the chest and tried to yank off her niqab.
Ahmad said she was shocked but managed to run after the man and take his picture which she included with her police report.
Fatima Ahmad filed police report after she says she was shoved by a man who tried to pull off her face veil on Monday outside Charlevoix metro. Same kind of incident 2 yrs ago. The 3rd year McGill student says she’s getting lots of nasty comments/looks since Bill 21. #CJAD800 pic.twitter.com/I1MhnbvHpA
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) May 15, 2019
Ahmad said police told her they are treating this as a possible hate crime, which police would not confirm to CJAD 800.
Ahmad recounts a similar incident two years ago but said she has been getting more nasty comments and looks since the arrival of Bill 21, Quebec's proposed secularism law.
Fatima Ahmad filed police report after she says she was shoved by a man who tried to pull off her face veil on Monday outside Charlevoix metro. Same kind of incident 2 yrs ago. But back then, two strangers helped her. This time, no one stepped up. #CJAD800 pic.twitter.com/ujBzZqeLWT
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) May 15, 2019
Ahmad said two years ago, a man also tried to snatch her face veil off but two strangers helped her at the time; this time, no one helped during the incident that happened during afternoon rush hour at the busy corner of Charlevoix and Centre.
Ahmad said she felt it was important to get the man's photo since no one was helping her.
Fatima Ahmad filed police report after she says she was shoved by a man who tried to pull off her face veil on Monday outside Charlevoix metro. Same kind of incident 2 yrs ago. Says getting more and more nasty comments/looks since #Bill21. #CJAD800 pic.twitter.com/vTUgsJEDN3
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) May 15, 2019
The education student said she felt it was important to speak out about this because she doesn't want this to happen to anyone else.
The Canadian Muslim Forum told CJAD 800 that it's seeing an increase in such incidents of harassment or physical and verbal abuse since the tabling of Bill 21 three months ago, including bullying of school-aged girls.
Fatima Ahmad says she’s getting more nasty comments/looks since #Bill21 but nothing like Monday when she says she was shoved by a man who tried to pull off her face veil outside Charlevoix metro. Same kind of incident 2 yrs ago. Says Monday’s incident shook her up. #CJAD800 pic.twitter.com/ixg12lyMG7
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) May 15, 2019