Toronto Star – Nov 25, 2011
Inas Kadri was shopping at a Mississauga mall with her two small children when a woman she had never seen before came “out of nowhere” and assaulted her, pulling off her niqab. Kadri is a schoolteacher with a computer engineering degree from University of Ottawa. Her attacker, Rosemarie Creswell, was sentenced by a Brampton judge for the assault, which occurred in August 2010 at the Sheridan Centre. Creswell, 66, pleaded guilty after seeing video evidence captured by a mall surveillance camera.
Justice Ian Cowan gave Creswell, 66, a one-year suspended sentence. He also ruled she must serve 100 hours of community service, and suggested she educate herself about Muslims by attending a mosque.
Dozens of women, some who knew Kadri and some who did not, wearing both the hijab and niqab, appeared in court to support her. “We want our kids to be brought up in an understanding community, so they will be good citizens,” said Sana Mutawi, who also wears the niqab. Kadri’s husband also accompanied her to court but declined requests for comment, saying he preferred to let his wife speak for herself.
