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The court convicts the couple of assaulting a Muslim father in Canada

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Two men who, after they violently assaulted a Muslim father returning from an outing with his family, were found guilty by a court that refused to recognize the assault as an anti-Muslim hate crime in a statement made public on Tuesday.

Muhammad Abu Marzouk, 39, and his family — his wife and daughters, ages four and six — were in their car and were about to drive home from a picnic near a community center in Mississauga, outside of Toronto, when two men were walking by. By outrageously shouted along with the “terrorists”.

The husband started kicking the car. Marzouk came down and was attacked. His wife, Diana Attar, begged them to stop, then spotted a police car and ran towards her for help. When she returned, her husband was lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from his ear.

Marzouk was taken to a trauma center in Toronto where he was rushed into surgery after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage and multiple patellar fractures.

The unprovoked attack left the father of two children with 10-15 skull fractures. Police initially framed the incident as a result of road rage, but after further investigation late Tuesday, authorities changed the incident to a hate crime.

During the attack, men were heard cursing and swearing at Arabs. Apparently, after taking those words into account, Supreme Court Justice Fletcher Dawson called the attack “anti-Arab, not anti-Muslim.”

Al-Attar described the fierce attack as “the dark side of humanity, the side that we would not wish on anyone.”

An official with the National Council of Canadian Muslims said in a statement that the family faced emotional, physical and financial hardship as a result of the attack and Canada should do more to help the victims.

“We need to change this pattern of neglect and suffering for survivors of such attacks,” said NCCM Chief of Operations Dr. Nadia Hassan. “These survivors deserve help, but as a country we haven’t done enough.”

The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood has called for the establishment of a national support fund for victims of hate crimes by the federal government.

The sentencing hearing for the two men, who are brothers, will begin on March 31.

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