Pakistani-origin woman injured in 'hate crime' attack in Houston

A Pakistani-origin woman in Houston, Texas, was reportedly assaulted in a suspected religiously motivated hate crime.

The incident occurred on South Wilcrest Drive, outside Sugar Park Plaza, at around 5 p.m. on Friday, when an unidentified man allegedly pushed the woman from behind, causing her to fall face-first onto the ground.

As a result, her nose was fractured and she sustained severe facial injuries. CCTV footage shows the attacker walking away across the street immediately after the assault.

Read more: Govt forms cyber monitoring team to curb hate speech in Muharram

The victim’s son, Muhammad Zaheer, said his mother was wearing a headscarf at the time and believes she was targeted because she appeared to be Muslim.

He called the attack a hate crime and urged authorities to arrest the suspect and impose strict punishment.

The family has filed a police report, and authorities have stated that if arrested, the suspect will face serious criminal charges.