Three men who made anti-Muslim remarks before attacking an Asian man in the street are being hunted by police.
The "horrible hate crime assault" happened on Friday afternoon in Whitechapel, east London, with the victim suffering a head injury, Scotland Yard said.
The suspects, said to be white and in their 20s, got out of a blue Ford Fiesta before hitting the 27-year-old with a blunt object before making off, the force said.
Officers were called at 1.18pm to Cannon Street Road to the reported assault.
The victim's head injury is not believed to be serious.
He was driven to hospital and left without treatment, but then went to another hospital and was subsequently discharged, the Metropolitan Police said.
Detective Chief Inspector Sean Channing said: "This was a horrible hate crime assault on a man going about his daily business.
"Whilst there were initial Islamophobic comments made by this group towards the individual which are being treated seriously, I would like to make clear that at no point did the group approach any mosque or congregation in the area.
"There is no evidence to suggest that the mosque near the area was the intended target."
No arrests have been made.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here