On their way back home from Silverdale School in Sheffield Redena, Al-Hadi and her sister, Wida were victims of an Islamophobic attack. The two schoolgirls were first targeted by a man who verbally abused them. The man was soon joined by a woman who ended up assaulting Redena and strangling her with her hijab. After both the perpetrators were arrested, the woman was allowed to walk free after receiving a warning for her attack.

Redena, Wida, and another female friend had boarded the no.88 bus from Silverdale School on December 4, around 4:30 PM. The altercation started when a man started using racial slurs towards Redena's female friend. The man was joined by another man who mocked the girls while de-boarding the bus.

Eventually a young boy decided to stand up against the man and his racial abuse. When the boy told him to not abuse the girls, the woman in a red coat attacked the boy.

burqa niqab
Islamophobe released with a warning after targeting teenagers for wearing hijabs. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth/File Photo

Redena told the woman to not attack the boy since he was a child. In response, the woman started to verbally degrade Redena. She targeted Redena for wearing a hijab, telling the girl that she found her headscarf sickening.

A video shared over various social media platform show, Redena being dragged off the bus by the woman. In the video, it can be seen that the woman pushes and hits Redena who tries to protect herself from the assault.

Redena told the Mirror how the woman threw her onto the road and she became unconscious for a few seconds. She regained sense to find herself being strangled by the woman. The teenager feared for her life as a man from the crowd was finally able to pull the woman off of her.

Both Redena and Wida suffered injuries during the assault. Redena suffered facial injuries and her vision remains blurred.

The family had some hope when the Sheffield Police arrested the man and woman for assaulting the children. However, the family was shocked when the woman was released with a warning after she admitted to assaulting the girls. The man is still in police custody awaiting to be sent to court.

Redena claims that she and her sister have been too scared to return to school. The family is worried that the girls may again come face to face with the attacker. They are also afraid that the woman might target other members of the community.