A prominent Calgary Imam was reportedly attacked by a woman while on his way to lead prayers in the city on Friday afternoon.

Imam Syed Soharwardy said he was walking from his car to the Genesis Centre in northeast Calgary when a car struck him from behind.

The woman who was driving the car got out and started shouting at him, calling him a terrorist and saying he was a threat to Canada.

“I just ignored it and I started walking again,” he said.

The woman then struck the Imam a second time with her car, and drove off when he called 911.

Soharwardy, the founder of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada and the group Muslims Against Terrorism, reported the woman to police and is meeting with them Sunday to discuss the incident.

Atthar Mahmood, the vice-president of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, said he is worried for his colleague’s safety and that this is the first time Soharwardy has been physically attacked.

“He always gets emails or phone calls, but physically things have never happened,” he said.

“I’ve known him for over 20 years now and never seen him shaken,” Mahmood continued. “But I did feel that (on Friday), he was shaken.”

estark@calgaryherald.com

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