14 Injured After Car Slams into Muslim-Owned Shop in Sydney, Australia
22 May 202014 people, including a 13-year-old girl, have been hospitalised after a car slammed into the Hijab House clothing shop in Sydney, Australia on Thursday afternoon. The driver of the vehicle, a 51-year-old named Sabri Nasser, was released after being arrested following the crash, only to be arrested again.
So far, the causes behind the incident remain unclear. Videos taken by onlookers seem to suggest that the vehicle has been driven into the shop deliberately. However, police have told members of the press that they are still trying to identify a motive.
The vehicle appears to have slammed into the Hijab House store deliberately
The shocking incident took place Thursday afternoon, in the Waterloo Road of Sydney’s Greenacre District. Videos taken by onlookers and witnesses shows Mitsubishi SUV revving its engine long enough to smoke its tyres before launching towards the shop at the turn of the traffic lights. Before crashing into the shop, the SUV rammed to the car in front of it with enough strength to push it away without losing speed even as the driver of the car locked on the brakes.
14 people were injured in the crash which saw onlookers scrambling to help in its wake. Those injured in the crash were taken to the nearby Bankstown, Canterbury and Liverpool hospitals. 13 of the survivors were discharged shortly after while a 13-year-old girl who was injured during the crash remains in hospital, but is in stable condition. According to NSW Ambulance spokeswoman Caitlin Murphy, the survivors are “lucky to be alive.”
The owner of the shop, Tarik Houcher, said that the shop was especially busy due to Eid, describing the situation as “surreal” and “heartbreaking”. He said that his shop had been targeted with racially and Islamophobia-motivated attacks before and said he feared this was such an incident.
The 51-year-old driver of the vehicle was arrested
In the aftermath of the crash, police have arrested a suspect who was identified as 51-year-old Sabri Nasser. Although he was released, he was arrested again shortly after and is still being held by the police.
“Quite clearly from the footage, he’s pushing the vehicle in front of him quite hard in order to smoke the tyres like that. But what has caused that to happen, I can’t say,” said Assistant Commissioner Peter Thurtell said last night.
According to witnesses, including the driver of the car that he rammed into, he was “driving very calm.”
“He was not injured. There was no blood on him. He was not screaming or asking for help. He was just sitting in shock,” said Dr Nafi Musa, a local healthcare official who was on the scene.
According to the police, Nasser said that he was having a number of medical issues and blamed them for the crash. Police said that he is a known bad driver and has been linked to two similar road incidents which are also under investigation.
It is expected Nasser will be charged for a number of driving-offences.
The situation is developing.
Latest Articles
Gaming and Islam
20 Sep 2023
Are Muslims Safe in the UK? (Opinion Piece)
02 Sep 2023
Islamophobia: Roots and Consequences in British Society
Islamophobia is a growing concern in British society, causing discrimination against Muslims and undermining equality and tolerance. It has roots in history, particularly the Indian Mutiny, where the use of Enfield Pattern rifle cartridges greased with pig and beef fat insulted the religious beliefs of Indian soldiers. Islamophobia is promoted through media, politics, and institutional discrimination, but progress is being made through education, awareness, and advocacy for the rights of Muslims.
What French Control of the EU Council means for Europe’s Muslims
Once an electoral strategy of the right-wing, Islamophobia has moved firmly into mainstream/centrist policymaking and political thinking in France.
The Uyghurs in China Are Facing Persecution, And We Must Act Now!
As Muslims and as human beings, we should not keep quiet when such shocking acts are taken place against helpless people just because they follow a certain faith. But what can we do to help raise awareness and tackle this issue to try and help in this course?
Landmark report exposes Islamophobia in British Media
To alleviate the problems exposed in this report, there needs to be more effective policies, training and checks in the journalistic practice.
Islamophobia surges in Liverpool following terror attack
Muslim people are reporting incidents of islamophobia and racial hatred after last Sunday’s terrorist incident at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, religious leaders and an MP have revealed. Kim Johnson, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, said her team “had been hearing incidents where women wearing the hijab are facing abuse”. These incidents have come promptly after suspected […]
Batley Grammar School: RE Teacher Speaks Out
A Muslim RE teacher shares his views on the recent Batley Grammar School controversy.
Shawcross Appointment Further Undermines Trust and Confidence in Government
Muslim groups have rightly condemned the appointment of William Shawcross to review the Prevent strategy, due to previous negative remarks about Islam.
It Is Baffling But Some Muslims Still Support Trump
Are you puzzled by American Muslim Trump supporters? We breakdown why some voted Trump in 2016, and may do so again on 3rd November.
Trump’s Anti-Muslim Policies Are A Taste of What’s to Come
The so-called “Muslim Ban” is just a taste of what will follow if Trump is re-elected. Now is the moment for US voters to change America’s direction.
Trump Will Double Down On Far-Right Support After the Election
As part of our US Election series, Mohammed Shafiq explains how Trump’s increasing pandering to his far-right voter base is bad news for Muslims globally.