Gardaí probe if racial element to incident in which hijab removed; Calls for hate crime legislation
Gardaí are seeking mobile phone and dash cam footage in connection with the alleged assault of a teenager in south Dublin.
During the incident in Dundum a 17-year-old Muslim girl had here hijab ripped off her.
Investigating Gardaí are appealing for anyone with information to contact Dundrum Garda Station on 01 – 666 5600, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
In a statement this evening they said the investigations are ongoing and will determine the motive behind these incidents but said "at this time the incidents are not believed to be racially motivated. investigations are continuing.
The incident has sparked fierce criticism, however, with the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland saying hate-crime legislation and an increased garda presence is needed to tackle racist attacks.
Spokesperson for the ICCI, Dr Ali Selim, said there needs to be more education on the issue.
"These individual cases need to be tackled and the way to tackle them is to have hate legislation crime in Ireland and have uniform garda presence on the streets."
'No indication' alleged attack on Muslim teen who had hijab removed was hate crime
Garda sources have said there is no indication that the alleged assault of a Muslim teenager in a Dublin suburb was a hate crime, writes
The incident - footage of which emerged online - appears to show the young woman having her hijab forcibly removed by a gang of teenagers in Dundrum on Sunday afternoon. It drew widespread criticism, including from Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, who described it as a hate crime.
However, while gardaí confirmed that the incident was being investigated, they described what occurred as a "random assault". A Garda source said there was currently no indication that the incident was a hate crime. No arrests have yet been made.
The video clip appears to show the attack on the 14-year-old, in which she is also pelted with eggs.
Deputy Green Party leader Catherine Martin TD condemned the incident, stating:
Violence like this stems from racist rhetoric. Words become actions.
Minister Madigan, also a local TD, said: "I very much welcome the fact that Gardai have confirmed that this awful hate crime and assault is under investigation. I wish them a speedy resolution in bringing the culprits of this crime to justice."
INAR Ireland, an organisation with nearly 100 member groups opposing racism, tweeted that the incident was a "racist incident".
