Conviction of a person pulled down the niqab of a Muslim woman

Cannabis smoking thug ripped off Muslim woman's Niqab in front of her shocked family after flying into a rage because cinema was not showing the film he wanted to see.


A thug high on cannabis ripped a veil off the face of a Muslim woman in a violent unprovoked rage because the movie he wanted to see was not being shown, a court heard today.


Ian Brazier, 26, tore off 26-year-old Farhana Chughtai's Niqab in the middle of a busy shopping centre in Solihull, West Mids. in front of her shocked family.


Brazier today pleaded guilty to one charge of racially aggravated common assault by beating at Solihull Magistrates Court - and is facing a maximum sentence of two years in prison.


The court heard Miss Chughtai - who was not present at the hearing - was with her family in the Touchwood Shopping Centre on March 3 when she felt her hair being tugged from behind.


Prosecutor John McCann told the court Brazier then tore Miss Chughtai’s veil off her head leaving her face exposed - a major taboo in Islam.


He said: 'The complainant was wearing the Niqab, walking through the shopping centre on a Saturday afternoon with other family members.


'She felt a tug to her hair from the back and shortly afterwards felt the Niqab come away from her face


'She turned to see this defendant, a complete stranger, standing behind her.

'She felt humiliated and very upset.


'There was clearly no injury, the pull on the hair is the assault.


'It is clearly racially aggravated because of the nature of the assault and the removal of this particular item of clothing by this defendant.'