SASKATOON: A Muslim man was stabbed, beaten and had his beard cut in what appears to be another hate crime, in Canada’s Saskatoon city.
According to Canadian media, the victim, identified as Muhammad Kashif, was out for his routine walk around 5:30 a.m. when he said the attack happened near his Preston Avenue home.
The victim said that he was near his parked car in an alley when another car drove up behind him. “They attacked on my back with a knife or something,” he said, adding that the attackers constantly verbally abused him during the assault.
“Using F-word and saying ‘Why you are here? We don’t like you are Muslim, why are you wearing this dress? And then one guy held my hands and the other guy cut my beard,” CBC quoted Kashif as saying.
According to Kashif, the men stabbed him in the arm before hitting him on the head with a cane that he uses while walking. Kashif said he lost unconsciousness and when he woke up his keys and phone were gone.
He said he was unable to get help from a neighbour as they were asleep. Eventually, he was able to motion for a car to stop for help. “He asked me what happened, I told him, ‘I have a stab’ and then he called 911.”
Kashif had to get 14 stitches at the hospital to close the gash on his arm. Police took a statement from him there. The Saskatoon police said a probe is underway by the serious assault unit with support from the equity and cultural engagement unit.
Kashif is not sure of the number of attackers, but he “recognised one of them as a person who had previously verbally abused him”, the publication said. Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark in a statement said he was “horrified and saddened” by the attack.
The incident follows one on June 6 when in London, Ontario, four members of a Muslim family were run over while out for a walk, and another as recent as Wednesday when two sisters wearing hijabs were attacked outside of Edmonton by a man with a knife.
