British Muslim attacked 'for wearing headscarf'

Two people have been arrested following an attack on a British Muslim woman in south London, after she was punched and kicked "for wearing a headscarf."

The incident, which is still being investigated by the Metropolitan Police, highlights a growing concern of Islamophobic acts against women in Europe.

The attack on Thursday took place as the 25-year-old made her way to Al-Khair, a private Islamic primary school in Croydon, to pick up her two children.

She was approached by three women who began "shouting and hurling abuse" at her. She was also asked if she "felt hot wearing the headscarf."

"They then pulled my headscarf off and started punching and kicking me,” the woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Evening Standard newspaper in London.

"One was dragging my head down while the others were hitting me. They were being so racist and using derogatory terms."

The attack was only stopped after another parent came to her aid.

Islamophobia has been on the rise in many parts of Europe, especially since the rise of extremist groups such as the so-called Islamic State group.

However, it seems women are the prime target of such attacks.

A study earlier this year by Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe commissioner for human rights, revealed that 80 percent of anti-Muslim acts in France were carried out against women. 

"All of the evidence that we receive from Muslims reporting to us in the UK shows that at a street level, it is women who are visibly Muslim that are targeted" Fiyaz Mughal, director of interfaith thinktank Faith Matters told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

"This means women who wear the hijab or niqab are more likely to be victims of such abuse" Mughal added.

Secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, Dr Shuja Shafi described the recent spike in harassment crimes as “disturbing” but “not unexpected” before stressing the “urgent need” to combat the growth of Islamophobia across England and Wales.