SEATTLE — A woman's hijab was stolen at knifepoint near the University of Washington on Monday. The Seattle Police Department is investigating it as a hate crime.
A hijab is a head covering that some Muslim women choose to wear in public.
According to an alert sent to UW staff and students, the armed robbery happened around 10 a.m. on the 4700 block of 12th Ave. NE.
The victim was not physically injured but is processing what happened.
"She's definitely shaken up by it," said Imraan Siddiqi, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Washington. "She didn't go to work expecting to be harassed or be targeted for her religion or her race."
Siddiqi said he talked to the victim, who shared that she was working inside a building filling a soap dispenser when it happened.
"Somebody just came in and decided to harass her and pulled the headscarf off of her head," said Siddiqi. "For a Muslim woman, that is an article of faith that's essentially like ripping off somebody's clothes. So, in some regards, that is a sexual assault as well, if you really think about it."
Siddiqi said the woman told him the man made derogatory comments about her hijab and spoke of Iran and Israel, despite the woman being Iraqi.
"When there is a rise in this type of sensationalism and Islamophobia in the global conversation, then you see that manifesting itself on a street level," said Siddiqi.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations of Washington released a statement reminding community members to stay vigilant.
"During these heightened times, we are seeing a rise in harassment and incidents targeting individuals from Muslim, Arab, South Asian and immigrant backgrounds," officials wrote in the post.
Some female Muslim students at UW said they are concerned about his crime.
"It made me very scared," said one UW student who wears a hijab. "And I spoke to my friends who were very scared."
The student is a part of the Muslim Students Association at UW.
"You are just ripping off part of our identity and then you are assaulting us," said the female student. "I agree with the fact that it is a sexual assault because you are choosing to uncover a part of our body that we choose to cover."
She said being a woman, you are already on guard. She said when you are a Muslim woman, you can be targeted even more.
"When you're wearing the hijab, you're representing Islam openly and you're aware of all of this Islamophobia around you and that adds another layer of fear," said the student.
The alert included tips on staying safe during incidents like these. School officials and law enforcement advise people to stay calm and do as instructed, avoid confrontations and remove themselves from the situation if possible.
If a situation like this occurs, officials said it is helpful to remember distinctive details about a suspect's clothing and appearance.
Officials with the university and SPD are asking anyone with information about the incident to call the department's violent crime tip line at (206) 233-5000.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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