A Texas woman has been taken into custody after allegedly assaulting her teenage daughter for not wearing a hijab, a religious head covering worn by Muslim women, and causing her physical harm over a cooking mishap, according to local law enforcement. Sittarh Mazhar Khan, 36, of Kingwood, Texas, is facing charges of family assault, impeding breathing/circulation, and causing bodily injury to a child, as per the Harris County prosecutors.
The incident came to light when Khan reportedly saw a picture of her 14-year-old daughter without a hijab on Instagram, which led to the assault, according to an individual familiar with the investigation. The hearing officer at the probable cause hearing on Wednesday stated that Khan, upset that her daughter did not wear her hijab to school, allegedly beat and choked her, causing the teenager to lose consciousness.
In addition to the assault over the hijab, Khan is also accused of causing physical harm to her daughter over a culinary error. The hearing officer revealed that Khan allegedly forced her daughter’s arm onto a hot oven rack, resulting in three burn marks, as a punishment for overcooking pita bread.
The circumstances leading to law enforcement’s awareness of the alleged abuse remain unclear, as does the timeline of the two incidents. KPRC, a local news outlet, reported that it was uncertain whether the two incidents occurred simultaneously.
Khan was arrested early Wednesday morning and was subsequently booked into Harris County Jail. While the prosecutors requested a $75,000 bond for Khan, the hearing officer set the bond at $20,000.
In court, Khan, who has been a homemaker for over 17 years, required an interpreter to communicate. The teenage victim is currently under the care of Child Protective Services. Khan is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday morning.