On a Sydney bus, a 13-year-old girl in hijab and school uniform chose to speak up for a friend — and in doing so became the target of a recorded torrent of Islamophobic abuse from a 50-year-old man. The encounter, brief and brutal, has since moved through police stations, courtrooms, and the attention of elected officials, raising once more the question of what safety means for Muslim children navigating ordinary public life. When bail was denied, the man turned his anger on the judge — a final gesture that seemed to confirm what the court had already decided.
Sydney man denied bail after allegedly calling 13-year-old Muslim girl 'terrorist' on bus
A 13-year-old Muslim schoolgirl was subjected to severe Islamophobic verbal abuse including being called a 'terrorist' and 'immigrant dog' on public transport.
A 13-year-old on public transport with no way to escape
Mark
Why does a bail hearing matter for a story like this? Isn't the real news that he allegedly called a child a terrorist on a bus?
Mimi
The bail hearing is where the legal system responds—or doesn't. It shows whether the courts take this seriously. And Yassine's behavior in court, his refusal to accept responsibility, his anger at the judge—that's part of the pattern.
Luke
But we should be clear: he's accused of this. The video exists and the prosecutor says it shows what happened, but we're reading the prosecutor's description of the video, not seeing it ourselves. The facts are solid—the arrest, the charges, the court appearance—but the exact words he used come from the prosecutor's account.
Mark
The girl recorded it though, right? So there's evidence.
Mimi
Yes. She captured it on her phone. That's why the prosecutor said there was strong evidence. But the specific insults—"fucking terrorist," "immigrant dog"—those come from what the prosecutor told the court, which the reporting relayed.
Luke
Which is fine. That's how court reporting works. But it's worth noting the distinction. The arrest and charges are facts. The video existing is a fact. What's on the video is what the prosecutor says is on it.
Mark
And his criminal history—46 pages—that's documented?
Mimi
Yes. The judge cited it directly. He's also on a community corrections order, which means he's already under court supervision for something else. That's why the judge saw him as a flight risk or a risk to reoffend.
Luke
Though Yassine argued he wasn't a risk. The judge disagreed. That's a judgment call, and it went against him.
Mark
What happens next?
Mimi
He stays in custody until his next court date. He'll have to enter a plea then, or the case will move forward. The charges are stalking and intimidation with intent to cause fear.
Luke
And the girl—is she safe? Is there any mention of what happens to her, whether she needs support?
Mimi
The reporting doesn't say. We know her mother went public, which took courage. But what comes after—counseling, school support, whether she feels safe on buses—that's not covered here.
Mark
So there's a human story still unfolding that we don't see.
Mimi
Exactly. The court case is one thread. Her recovery, if she needs it, is another.
The Pulse
- A teenage girl's act of quiet courage — intervening when a stranger photographed her friend without consent — made her the target of a vicious, recorded verbal assault on a public bus.
- The video she captured became the centrepiece of a swift police response, with Omar Yassine arrested at a Greenacre home and charged with stalking and intimidation with intent to cause fear.
- In court, Yassine dismissed legal representation, reframed himself as the victim, and argued for bail — but a 46-page criminal record and an active community corrections order worked decisively against him.
- Acting Judge Gary Still refused bail, citing the child's vulnerability and Yassine's history; Yassine responded by berating the judge as he was led to the cells.
- The girl and her mother went public before the arrest, drawing condemnation from local MP Jason Yat-sen Li and reigniting broader concern about Islamophobic harassment of children on Sydney public transport.
On a Sydney bus, a 13-year-old girl in hijab and school uniform chose to speak up for a friend — and in doing so became the target of a recorded torrent of Islamophobic abuse from a 50-year-old man. The encounter, brief and brutal, has since moved through police stations, courtrooms, and the attention of elected officials, raising once more the question of what safety means for Muslim children navigating ordinary public life. When bail was denied, the man turned his anger on the judge — a final gesture that seemed to confirm what the court had already decided.
Omar Yassine arrived at Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday having spent the night in custody, and wasted little time arguing with the presiding judge. The 50-year-old had been arrested after allegedly launching a sustained verbal attack on a 13-year-old Muslim schoolgirl on a Sydney bus the previous day — a girl who had done nothing more than object to him photographing her friend without permission.
The girl, a year 8 student wearing a hijab and school uniform, captured the abuse on her phone. The footage showed Yassine calling her a 'fucking terrorist' and an 'immigrant dog,' continuing even after she told him she was born in Australia and reminded him of her age. Other passengers witnessed the tirade. When the bus reached Strathfield station, the girl and her mother reported the incident to police, who tracked Yassine to a home in Greenacre and charged him with stalking and intimidation with intent to cause fear.
In court, Yassine chose to represent himself. He acknowledged the exchange but cast himself as the one who had been threatened, claiming the students had abused him first and that he had never actually taken a photograph. He sought bail, arguing he posed no risk of reoffending. The police prosecutor pointed to the video evidence and to Yassine's criminal history — a 46-page record — noting he was also currently serving a community corrections order.
Acting Judge Gary Still refused bail, emphasising the victim's age and vulnerability, and her inability to simply leave the situation. As Yassine was taken back to the cells, he turned on the judge, accusing him of bowing to outside pressure and questioning his authority to predict future behaviour.
The girl's mother had spoken to media before the arrest, and the family's decision to go public drew a swift response from Strathfield state MP Jason Yat-sen Li, who described himself as 'horrified and deeply angry' and praised the teenager for her courage. Yassine did not enter a plea and will return to court at a later date.
Omar Yassine stood in the dock at Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday morning, freshly arrested after a night in custody, and immediately began arguing with the judge. The 50-year-old man had been brought in overnight following allegations that he verbally attacked a 13-year-old girl on a Sydney bus the day before—a girl wearing a hijab and school uniform who had done nothing to provoke him except stand up for another Muslim student he was photographing without permission.
The incident unfolded on an inner-western Sydney bus when the year 8 student intervened after noticing Yassine taking pictures of her friend. What followed was a recorded tirade. In video footage the girl captured on her phone, Yassine called her a "fucking terrorist" and an "immigrant dog," among other slurs. When she told him she was born in Australia and reminded him of her age, he continued. Other passengers witnessed the abuse. When the bus reached Strathfield station, the girl and her mother reported what had happened to police. Officers found Yassine at a home in Greenacre and arrested him, charging him with stalking and intimidation with intent to cause fear.
In court, Yassine rejected legal representation and mounted his own defense. He acknowledged hurling insults but claimed he wasn't the aggressor—that the four students, including the girl, had been the ones threatening and abusing him. He said he'd only raised his phone and that someone had accused him of taking a photo. He argued he should be released on bail because he could report to police and posed no risk of reoffending. The police prosecutor countered with strong evidence: the video itself, which captured everything. They also noted Yassine's criminal history—a 46-page record—and that he was currently serving a community corrections order.
Acting Judge Gary Still was unmoved. He focused on the vulnerability of the victim: a 13-year-old child on public transport, with no ability to escape. He pointed to Yassine's extensive record and his current community corrections status. Bail was denied. Yassine's response was to turn on the judge himself. As he was led away to the cells, he hurled accusations at Still, suggesting the judge was capitulating to pressure and questioning how he could presume to know Yassine's future behavior. "Good work, Your Honour – bow down to them, mate," he said.
The girl and her mother told the ABC the incident was "really disgusting." Their willingness to go public—the mother spoke to media on Tuesday, before police made the arrest—drew attention from local politicians. Jason Yat-sen Li, the Strathfield state MP, said he was "horrified and deeply angry" about the alleged attack. He praised the teenager for speaking up and made clear that Strathfield would not tolerate racist or Islamophobic abuse, especially against children. Yassine was not required to enter a plea at Wednesday's hearing. He will return to court at a future date to face the charges.
Notable Quotes
This is a vulnerable victim, a 13-year-old on public transport. There are a number of matters on your record and you are just off a community corrections order.— Acting Judge Gary Still, explaining his bail decision
Let me be absolutely clear: Strathfield will not tolerate racist or Islamophobic abuse, particularly when it targets children.— Jason Yat-sen Li, Strathfield state MP
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Crime & Justice