Canada PM Justin Trudeau condemns attack on Muslim girl in Toronto

Condemning the attack, Trudeau tweeted: " My heart goes out to Khawlah Noman following this morning’s cowardly attack on her in Toronto. Canada is an open and welcoming country, and incidents like this cannot be tolerated."

Khawlah Noman, who studies in the sixth grade, was on her way to school with younger brother when the incident took place.

The man allegedly tried to cut the girl's hijab twice.

Reacting to the attack, Noman said: "Sadly, someone insulted me by cutting my hijab two times."

"I felt really scared and confused because I didn't feel comfortable that people are doing this.," the girl was quoted by media.

Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne called the incident "cowardly act of hatred".

Wynne tweeted: "This is a cowardly act of hatred, and it has no place in Ontario. This does not represent who we are. We must stand firm in our support of this young girl who was assaulted simply for wearing a hijab. "

Hijab is a veil which Muslim women wear to cover their faces and chests in front of elderly people outside home.

(Reporting by Suman Das)