NCCM Outraged After Black Muslim Edmontonian Leaving Eid Friday prayer Subjected to Excessive Force by Edmonton Police

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) is greatly disturbed and concerned in relation to the case of an Edmonton man who was apparently subjected to excessive force by Edmonton Police Service officers after being pulled over on the day of Eid with his family.

The victim, who will not be named to protect his family’s privacy, is a Black Muslim man who has been a long-time resident of Edmonton. On April 21, the victim was leaving a Southside mosque in his vehicle after praying the congregational Friday prayer on the day of Eid with his family, including his wife and young children.

They were expecting a day of joy and celebration.

Instead, the victim was pulled over by EPS officers for allegedly going 47 km/h in a 30 zone. The victim was easily identifiable as Muslim given that he was wearing traditional clothing, including a turban and a thobe.

The victim allegedly noticed that the officer appeared to be agitated, and so requested a supervisor to be present before providing his license and all identifying information. The officers then violently pulled the victim out of the car and put him in a restraint position, with one of the officers putting their knee on the victim’s neck.

The victim suffered a number of injuries as a result of the assault, and his family have suffered significant mental distress, including his young children.

"Make no mistake about it" said Said Omar, NCCM's Alberta Advocacy Officer, "Having a knee violently pinned on the back of a man's neck over an alleged minor speeding infraction - there were no Criminal Code charges - could have, as all Canadians know, produced far more tragic results".

The National Council of Canadian Muslims is supporting the victim legally and providing other critical supports. The NCCM has reached out to Edmonton Police Services and has begun a discussion with EPS leadership, which we hope will result in a positive result for the victim.

We want answers. And we want justice.

If you were a witness to this event, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.