An Australian Muslim woman was reportedly attacked with a broken glass beer bottle after the perpetrator said “merry Christmas” but she replied “happy holidays,” The Independent reports.
Police are investigating reports the man stole the woman’s hijab after the incident at the Beeliar Village shopping complex in Perth, Australia.
According to the Islamophobia Register Australia, the assailant smashed the 33-year-old woman over the back with a beer bottle after the exchange.
Her hijab came off during the scuffle and the man ran off with it before dumping it nearby.
Police officers have said that they are looking for a light-skinned man aged between 25 and 35, around 5ft 9ins tall, of slim build and with short blond hair.
He was reportedly wearing blue shorts and a white top.
The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, told WAtoday: “He yelled, ‘no merry Christmas’, so I said ‘OK’, then he called me a “f**king Muslim cu*t.
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“I asked him what he said and I saw him grab a bottle so I quickly turned away and he threw it at me and it smashed on my shoulder and neck.
“Imagine if I didn’t turn around, it could have cut my face open.”
She also said he threw sticks and stones at her.
“I was screaming on the phone to triple-zero because I thought this guy could kill me,” she said.
“I was running into oncoming traffic to get away from this guy because he was threatening to punch me in the face. I have been racially abused in the past because of my religion but this is by far worse“.
Islamophobia Register Australia president Mariam Veiszadeh said: “I spoke to the victim last night and it’s obviously been very traumatic for her.
“Unfortunately after incidents it injects a lot of fear into people, so we want the perpetrator caught as quickly as possible.”
