A Muslim man says that a pickup truck tried to overthrow him in Saskatoon



[ad_1]

Abu Sheikh was returning from his morning prayer at dawn on July 13 when a truck lurched through traffic lanes toward him.

The 66-year-old Muslim man said that he thought it was the police who were asking him a question, until the white van was accelerating to the south along the northbound lane on Cumberland Avenue and jump on the sidewalk for apparently trying to reach it.

"It was very scary," he said. "Between me and the truck … (There were) maybe three inches or something like that."

Sheikh, who lives in Saskatoon since 2004, said that he has never been the target of this kind of attack.

father and grandfather said that the attack had scared and shaken


Abu Sheikh is seen through his broken window that was broken on July 13, 2018, when he says that a man attacked him with a truck and threw bricks at his home

Liam Richards /

Saskatoon StarPhoenix

"I know that I love Saskatoon," he said. "(Now) I keep checking around, maybe try not to walk alone."

When the truck accelerated toward him this morning, Sheikh said that he was flattened in a row of hedges to avoid being hit. He said that the driver rolled out the window and shouted, "Why are you here?" And other things that Sheikh could not distinguish.

Having no room to escape between the hedge and the truck robes for the morning prayer – fell on all fours and crawled as fast as possible between the hedge and the truck to get around the corner and enter his next house.

Shaykh said that he rang his son's door to leave him inside, even though he had a key in his pocket.

"I did not have time to find the key," he said. "My son opened the door … and he saw the guy on foot, chasing me."

As the Shaykh's son called 911, they heard a loud noise and an accident.

The man who drove the truck was parked along the street, they climb their driveway and throw bricks on the front of their house


Abu Sheikh, on the right, is seen with his daughter Aisha in through his broken window.

Liam Richards /

Saskatoon StarPhoenix

One of the bricks hit the double glazed glbad from the tall front windows and landed in the middle of the living room, about five feet from the house. Her daughter Aisha says she's used to brag to the people she's met about Canada and its diversity. The attack against his father was a shocking blow.

"I was terrified," she said. "I've always been proud to be Canadian … I felt very troubled that my views of Canada may be a little too rosy."

According to data published by Statistics Canada, # Last year, the total number of hate crimes Canada increased between 2015 and 2016. The same data indicated that the number of hate crimes against the Muslim population had decreased, but still accounted for about one-third of all hate crimes in the world. the country.

Sheikh said that he had read about "When I woke up the following night, it came to me like a dream, seeing this evil … in front of me, trying to kill me ", he said.

Shaykh said that his fear prevented him from going to worship for three days. Now, either he drives there, or he walks with his son.

Aisha Sheikh said that the family had met police about the incident, and that she was taking her father with her to Toronto to get away for a while. She said her family was planning an event called Neighbors Without Borders to try to bring people together and "resist hate" in their Saskatoon community.

"We are here, and we are not going anywhere, and our family is so much love," she said. "The hateful action of this person, we respond with love."

[email protected]

[ad_2]
Source link