A woman who was attacked inside an Ajax Library by a suspect who allegedly attempted to set her hijab on fire says that the incident has shook her confidence “in the safety of our community spaces” and has left her unable to sleep properly.
The incident happened at Ajax Public Library’s Main Branch near Harwood Avenue and Kingston Road on Saturday afternoon.
Police have said that the victim was studying when she was approached by an unknown female, who yelled profanities at her and threw objects at her head.
The suspect then allegedly tried to remove the victim’s hijab, while pouring an unknown liquid on it and attempting to set it on fire.
However, security intervened and the suspect was not successful.
A 25-year-old woman, identified as Kaley-Ann Freier, was apprehended a few hours after the incident and is facing two counts of assault with a weapon and three counts of fail to comply with probation order.
“I never imagined that a visit to my favourite, quiet corner of the library would turn into one of the most terrifying moments of my life,” the victim, a Muslim woman from Ajax, said in a statement read at a press conference held by community leaders on Monday.
“I always assume the best in people, and never thought someone would wish harm upon me – especially when I was just sitting there, minding my own business.”
Police have described the incident as an “unprovoked attack” but have offered few details beyond that.
In her statement, the victim shared details of what led up to the attack, saying she was at the library studying, when she heard a woman muttering profanities under her breath.
She said she tried to ignore the woman and turned her chair to avoid confrontation, but the woman began to throw objects at her.
“I turned around, still unable to believe that this was an act of hatred. I thought maybe she was struggling with something or needed help,” she said.
The victim said she considered speaking with the librarian, but before she could, the “situation escalated.”
She said the woman stood up and “violently grabbed” at her hijab in an attempt to remove it before pouring liquid all over her scarf.
“And then, to my absolute horror, she pulled out a lighter and tried to set me on fire. She kept trying, flicking it again and again, repeating her threats,” she said.
She added that the thought of the lighter working and her attacker being successful in the attempt to set her on fire has kept her up at night and made her fear for the safety of her daughters, who also wear a hijab.
“I can’t stop thinking, ‘What if the lighter had worked? What if my hijab had caught on fire?’ The least of the damage would have been permanent burns on my face. What if the scissors and the metal object she threw at me had struck my neck instead of missing? I can’t stop replaying those possibilities in my mind,” she said.
“The fear that an incident like this could happen to my daughters keeps me awake at night and shakes my confidence in the safety of our community spaces. As a mother, their security is my utmost priority, and I cannot help but question how safe our public spaces truly are when even a peaceful library can become a site of terror.”
‘I wasn’t shocked, I was frustrated’: Muslim and Ajax community members speak out
Monday’s press conference also featured members of Canada’s Muslim community, who condemned the attack.
“I was on the road when I heard this happened and my heart sunk,” Omar Khamissa, National Council of Canadian Muslims Chief Operating Officer said at Monday’s press conference.
“I wasn’t shocked, I was frustrated. I was angry that our community still has to deal with this type of behaviour. Angry that we have been told by so many that Islamophobia doesn’t exist.”
Ajax Deputy Major Sterling Lee also spoke at the press conference.
“This incident is a shocking reminder that our Ajax community is not immune to the intolerance and hatred that persist in our world,” Lee said.
Khamissa added that Canada is the leading G7 country when it comes to Islamophobia-related deaths in the past seven years.
“Canadians need to know this. Especially right now when we’re in an election cycle,” he said.
Federal party leaders react
Police have said that they continue to look into the incident and that investigators are “required to consult with the Crown Attorney’s office to determine whether the evidence meets the legal threshold for hate to be considered a factor.”
In the meantime, federal party leaders are reacting to the events.
On Monday, Liberal Leader Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh all posted statements to X commenting on what transpired in Ajax over the weekend.
Carney said in his post that “Islamophobia is real, it is dangerous, and it must stop,” while Singh said that the attack was “horrifying” and a “reminder that divisive rhetoric is a stain on our country and not part of our Canadian values.”
Poilievre, for his part, suggested that the suspect was previously arrested for a violent offence and that stronger bail laws are needed to “bring home safety to our streets.”
Durham police have not confirmed if the woman arrested in Saturday’s library attack is the person that Poilievre was referring to in his X post.
