St. Albert RCMP are reviewing charges following an alleged hate-motivated assault on a Muslim man that occurred on May 1, 2026. The victim, Ali Wahad Noor, 56, says he was attacked after leaving the Muslim Association of St. Albert.
Details of the Incident
Noor told police that while driving home with his wife, a man in a Subaru began following them. The suspect tailed the couple closely before overtaking them at Poirier Avenue and Parkwood Drive. The Subaru then blocked the roadway and sped toward Noor's vehicle, forcing him to stop.
According to Noor, the driver exited his vehicle and began shouting racial slurs, including the n-word, and insulting Islam. The suspect allegedly called Noor and his wife "f–king immigrants," threatened to kill them, and then opened and closed the driver's side door twice. When Noor exited his vehicle, the man punched him multiple times in the face, causing him to lose consciousness and fall to the ground.
Noor's wife, who wears a hijab, fled the vehicle and called family. A bystander called 911, and others assisted Noor until first responders arrived. The attacker left the scene before police arrived.
Police Investigation
RCMP Cpl. Mathew Howell confirmed that officers responded to the scene at approximately 2:36 p.m. on Friday. Police later located and arrested the suspect, who was released pending charge approval from Crown prosecutors. Howell stated that "racial obscenities were yelled during the interaction" and that the victim suffered injuries including a laceration to the right eye, pavement burns, and scratches from being slammed into the ground.
Impact on the Victim
Noor expressed shock and sadness over the attack, saying, "It's very sad. I never thought this would happen to me." He continues to experience pain from his injuries and has been unable to work as an Uber driver. He also suffers from nightmares and paranoia while driving. Community members have launched a fundraising campaign to support him.
Community Response
Ahmed Abdulkadir, a Somali community leader, noted that such hate-motivated incidents have become increasingly common, particularly against women wearing hijabs since the pandemic. He cited a 2021 attack in St. Albert where a knife-wielding man allegedly knocked a hijabi woman unconscious. Abdulkadir called on all levels of government to do more to combat Islamophobia and encouraged victims to report incidents.
