Here’s the converse of the stories of women who are forced by threats of violence to wear hijab:
Sam Jones, prosecuting, said: “Miss Jama was walking to a cash dispenser on Church Road with her eight-year-old child.
“She heard shouting from behind in a loud and angry voice. She then heard ‘Off with the hijab.’
“She was then approached by the defendant who was holding a knife in his hand.
“He said ‘Take the hijab off. This is England, you are not allowed. Take the hijab off before I stab you.’
“He then pointed the blade of his knife and put it the left and right side of her neck. It was witnessed by a man in a car who took a photo of the defendant.
“At 12pm a Mrs Osman was watching her four-year old play in the Urban Park in Barton Hill.
“The defendant approached her and asked why she was wearing too many clothes and why she had ‘that thing’ over her head. He then said ‘F***ing Muslim people, you are taking over my country.’
“He produced a knife from within his coat. She grabbed her bag and her child and left quickly.”
After he was arrested, alcoholic Norris chillingly told cops “I’m a killer, that is what I do.”
He received a non custodial sentence:
Norris admitted two counts of religiously aggravated harassment and two counts of possession of a bladed article at Bristol Crown Court.
Recorder Nicholas Rowland sentenced him to a two-year community order with two years supervision and a six month alcohol treatment requirement.
He said: “The reason I am doing this is so that any sort of repetition of his behaviour or if he fails to comply with the order he will be brought back before this court and the court’s hands will not be tied.”
That was likely also because he pleaded guilty at an early stage, and “had been on remand for seven months awaiting sentence”. He might, I suppose, have received a 14 month custodial sentence, which he would already have served.
It does, however, seem to be a rather light sentence for what must have been terrifying attacks on two women, one with a small child.
