Nadine Osman
The family of woman who was struck with a concrete slab by a stranger in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, say they believed she was targeted because she was visibly Muslim wearing a hijab in the town.
Police are investigating CCTV footage as a hooded man approaches her from behind raising a loose concrete slab, he had grabbed from a garden wall in South Street, Dewsbury at 12.30pm on October 25.
He gets within a metre of the unsuspecting mother-of-three and hurls it at her head. She sees him at the last moment and manages to move out of the way but is still struck by the heavy piece of concrete.
Her husband Eid Karimi, 40, was buying lunch from a takeaway as she waited outside.
He told The Independent: “I went inside to get food and she chose to wait outside in the rain because she had an umbrella.
“Suddenly I saw people running around this guy. He tried to run but I ran after him and grabbed him.
“She was wearing a hijab that’s why she was chosen,” her husband continued. “There were 50-60 people there, but she was the one attacked from behind.”
The construction worker thanked the people of Dewsbury who helped him tackle the suspect.“I want police to take this seriously,” he continued. “She didn’t suffer any broken bones or need stitches, but I worry so much about her.
“She is very shocked. He didn’t say anything to her, we didn’t know him, and we have never seen him before.
“She came back from hospital and couldn’t sleep all last night. She is very stressed.”
In a statement to The Muslim News West Yorkshire Police spokesman confirmed a 57-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with the incident.
He said: “We are aware of this video and can assure residents such incidents are treated extremely seriously.
“A man has been arrested in connection with the offence and enquiries are ongoing by Kirklees Police.”
It came amid reports that the Israel-Hamas conflict saw hate crimes increase across UK, with Islamophobic offences in London rising by 140 per cent.
