Family of Muslim woman attacked with concrete slab say she was targeted due to hijab

The victim’s husband chased after the suspect and pinned him to the floor

This is the horrifying moment a Muslim mother is struck with a concrete slab by a stranger in a broad daylight attack.

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 Wednesday.

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 family said they believed she was targeted because she was visibly Muslim wearing a hijab in the town centre attack.

The hooded man raises the concrete block and brings it down on the victim’s head (Supplied)

Her husband Eid Karimi, 40, was getting lunch for his wife from a takeaway as she waited outside ahead of a crucial job interview in town.

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 and this guy. He tried to run but I ran after him and grabbed him.

The woman swerves after being hit (Supplied)

“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.”

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman refused to confirm if the attack was being treated as a hate crime.

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.

There has also been a 1,350 per cent increase in hate crimes against Jewish people, Scotland Yard added.

Figures from the Met covering London show that 218 antisemitic offences were recorded from 1 October to 18 October this year, compared with 15 in the same period last year.