Teen Muslim girl verbally attacked on Sydney bus as video goes viral
A video shows 13-year-old Janna being shouted at with hateful slurs on a Sydney bus, prompting a police investigation.
A passenger recorded a 13-year-old Muslim schoolgirl, Janna, being subjected to a barrage of hateful insults on a Sydney bus as she returned from school. The attacker used vulgar language, calling her an “immigrant mutt” and a “terrorist” after Janna objected to him photographing another hijab-wearing girl. The video, uploaded with a terrified caption, quickly went viral, leading Janna and her mother Roula to file a police report.
NSW Police confirmed the investigation remains ongoing, and Transport for NSW was contacted for comment. The incident is part of a surge in anti-Muslim harassment documented by the Islamophobia Register Australia, which reports a 612 % increase since October 2023, with women disproportionately targeted. Aishah Ali, the Register’s executive director, stressed that bystander intervention is crucial to prevent such abuse from falling on children.
Why it matters
It underscores rising anti-Muslim hostility in Australia and the need for stronger protection and community response.
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