A Muslim teen in Canada was brutally beaten by two men with a baseball bat, leaving him with multiple injuries including a cracked skull. The teen had a successful surgery to repair his skull, but he still faces a long road to recovery.
According to CBC News, Noah Rabbani, a 15-year-old high school student, was walking home Saturday night in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A car pulled up to where he was walking, and two white men got out, one of whom had a baseball bat."The males approached the boy and struck him with the bat several times causing serious injuries," according to police. "The suspects ran back to the car and left in an unknown direction." The teen, who could barely speak, suffered injuries all over his body—his brain, jaw, limbs, and spine—and couldn't even move the right side of his body after the attack.
Police described the crime as a "robbery," since the men also stole Rabbani's backpack. However, the backpack had nothing valuable, and the men did not take his phone or watch, suggesting that it may have been a hate crime.
The Muslim teenager is of Pakistani descent, and his family thinks the incident was a hate crime. "It just seems like all of a sudden after the election in the U.S. there have been more violent incidents in our country," his aunt said, noting what some are calling the Trump effect. "It's the timing of it all."
Because the swelling was so severe, doctors had to wait for days after the attack to perform surgery. Fortunately, the surgery went well. According to CBC News, the family posted on Facebook: "His surgery on his skull to repair the damages was successful! Noah still has a long road to recovery. His doctors indicate that he will require extensive dental work, physiotherapy, house aids, learning aids and tutoring for a full and successful recovery." The teenager is still struggling to talk, however.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page, which has raised almost $15,000 so far, to help with the medical expenses.
The police are still investigating the incident.
