NDP responds to violent attack against Muslim woman in Oshawa

OSHAWA – NDP MPP Jennifer French (Oshawa) and MPP Doly Begum (Scarborough Southwest) are calling for the Government to address rising hate crimes and keep communities safe in Ontario. They issued the following statements in response to a violent attack against a Muslim woman in Oshawa on Wednesday afternoon.

“A young woman at her workplace was violently attacked and had her hijab torn from her head. While the investigation is ongoing, it is clear that Islamophobia and hate-motivated crimes are on the rise,” MPP Begum said.

“I strongly condemn this violent attack against one of our neighbours. No one should fear for their safety because of who they are or how they look—not in Ontario, and not in Oshawa,” MPP French said. “I support the calls for this incident to be investigated as a hate crime and send my thoughts to the survivor and the community.”

MPP Begum added, “This is not the Ontario we want to build. That’s why the Ontario New Democrats introduced legislation to prevent Islamophobia and build a province where everyone is safe. The Government must take immediate action to define Islamophobia clearly and implement strong policies to combat it.”

NDP MPPs proposed the Our London Family Act (Working Together to Combat Islamophobia and Hatred) in 2022, named after a Muslim family that was killed in a hate-motivated attack in London. The MPPs are hosting consultations with communities and working to bring the proposed bill back to life in the legislature.