Verbal abuse

[Abdullah Ali]

Picture this....

I'm waiting at a bus stop to go about 3 stops (buses are frequent at this stop) so I can catch another bus to get to work (1st time journey) and i'm feeling like I might be late.. Anyway, a bus comes and I get on it and stand resting at the front.

All I hear is someone say "****ing", I glanced around but didn't think much of it.. Then I heard the same person saying "This is England" so I looked around to see what was going on and I see a man (drunk) staring at these two muslim girls (who was just looking forward and didn't/couldn't want to do anything so I frown (and I was a little p'eed off already) as he started again I said 'who do you think your talking to mate'.. He went silent.. A few seconds later when I looked back round he said "****ing ****" and I was gonna approach him or say something when a bloke behind him indicated he is not worth it so I just stared at him until he looked away...

Now my time to get off had come so I looked at him to see what he was upto (put his hand on the shoulder of the person in front) and I slowly got of the bus (had to leave because of being late for work but I thought about stopping on to make sure the sisters were fine). As I was getting off some woman approached me and gave me a book.. Jesus.. I said I am muslim but still received the book...

But its been bugging me . Should I have stayed on? Should I have dragged him off? Should I have been more threatening to him?

I just feel for the sisters because the abuse might of restarted once I left, and maybe even got worse because of me...

[Blueprint]

I'm sorry you had to go through this dilemma, it's hard to say, and even hard to accept reality Ali, these are not the first few Muslim women to receive Islamophobia, and will not be the only ones.

Infact it will get worse for them. In that there is no denial. Ten years down the line the perception of Muslim's will be that justified people will only react.

We need to tackle this now. Today you encountered a physical situation that would not have existed if Muslim's were active in protecting their rights to practice Islam and save it from demonisation. It all starts from the media and it all starts from the wars that are decided in the political arena.

These two place where Muslim's are not bothered to engage themselves in are the primary reasons why normal everyday people (yes he may have been drunk but many others are not) feel so negatively towards Muslims and Islam. The Islamophobia is created to justify wars. And Muslims everywhere are dealing with the backlash. Yet we are silent for many many years. After 9/11 the Islamophobia is much much more acceptable. It is changing the minds of ordinary people towards Muslims.

We are the new devils in town. Expect much more violence and abuse. And expect Muslims to stay silent and inactive. Sadly

[Mikebloke]

As I was getting off some woman approached me and gave me a book.. Jesus.. I said I am muslim but still received the book...

But its been bugging me . Should I have stayed on? Should I have dragged him off? Should I have been more threatening to him?

I just feel for the sisters because the abuse might of restarted once I left, and maybe even got worse because of me...

This reflects the mentality of outsiders these days, their solution is if you change the problem will go away.

Its a difficult situation, and my gut would have told me to stay on, but its a hard decision to take to give up your time for something that as you say; could have been making it worse.

On a moral point of view, speaking out loud your disgust is right, just because he 'might not be worth it' doesn't justify his actions and mean he can get away with it.*

Perhaps the person who gave you a book should have been trying to support him instead, as he clearly needs it more.

* Personally, I've engaged these kinds of people from a neutral point of view, and sometimes it gets a bit rowdy, but with time an patience, they'll either get bored and shut up or actually go some way into changing their minds. I've only gained this ability by failure in the past and I wouldn't suggest endangering your personal well-being unless your prepared for possible confrontation.

[Goalshan602]

You did what you could in that time to protect the sisters. You had your business to attend to. You're not their mahram. They were not travelling with a mahram, so their family may be answerable. In some cases the sisters could have wanted you to mind your own business. The fact that you intervened and at least questioned the racist is a step in the right direction.

Best to move on from it. You did what you could in the time you had, not many would have done what you consider to be little when you did.

[Seperatist]

Best to move on from it. You did what you could in the time you had, not many would have done what you consider to be little when you did.

Don't stress yourself, these things happen all the time and as Goalie said above you did what you could, feel also for the perpetrator of the abuse for his ignorance and wasted grey matter.

[nasman]

is this a real story?

why didn't you report it to the driver? or if he wasn't interested, the police:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...el/DG_10036267

[mareyah]

You get complete jack-heads these day...couple of weeks ago, I was on train from work, and there was a rather pleasant looking middle aged woman...but she was drinking back lager with another drunk...a woman in her 50s or late was reading and suddenly the drunk woman punched her and gave her a black eye. It was bloomin surreal seen nothing like it ever before...the old woman was taken aback and got up and pushed the drunk but it was just the drunks stop...and everyone was just starring no1 attempting to stop the woman from leaving the scene. Shame we have no signal in our underground system in london... Its strange as to how the human psychology works how we alwe suddenly become zombified in such situations...

[Blueprint]

is this a real story?

why didn't you report it to the driver? or if he wasn't interested, the police:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...el/DG_10036267

yep, so true complain to the driver or report to the police.

Note down the number of the bus, the time, the driver involved. They will check camera's and investigate this hate crime.

Obviously only if you bother to complain, will it work.

[Blueprint]

You get complete jack-heads these day...couple of weeks ago, I was on train from work, and there was a rather pleasant looking middle aged woman...but she was drinking back lager with another drunk...a woman in her 50s or late was reading and suddenly the drunk woman punched her and gave her a black eye. It was bloomin surreal seen nothing like it ever before...the old woman was taken aback and got up and pushed the drunk but it was just the drunks stop...and everyone was just starring no1 attempting to stop the woman from leaving the scene. Shame we have no signal in our underground system in london... Its strange as to how the human psychology works how we alwe suddenly become zombified in such situations...

yep, my friend had her niqaab burnt on the bus, and nobody did anything to help her. she was so traumatised and has now left the country.

Drunks are dangerous people. I saw someone sleeping on the grass today in public unsual place, and I couldnt go on any further without asking or finding out if this person was dead or not or in trouble. Yet I waited and hesitated for a few seconds for someone else to join my curiosity, immediately an older concerned man did, but that interested me :/

anyway he was drunk.

[Goalshan602]

yep, my friend had her niqaab burnt on the bus, and nobody did anything to help her. she was so traumatised and has now left the country.

That's a shocking story!

[Goalshan602]

Once I was on a bus home. There was a Polish woman standing and talking quietly on her mobile in her own language. An English woman was walking to the front of the bus to get off at her stop. She asked the woman "are you Polish", she replied "Yes" and the English woman slapped her hard across the face and ranted about Eastern Europeans taking "our" jobs. Myself and other passengers exclaimed and told her off but we didn't do much else. The English woman left the bus. We told the Polish woman that we can help her as witnesses.

I contacted the bus company about the assault. They said that since the woman didn't report it, they couldn't do anything.

[Seperatist]

Once I was on a bus home. There was a Polish woman standing and talking quietly on her mobile in her own language. An English woman was walking to the front of the bus to get off at her stop. She asked the woman "are you Polish", she replied "Yes" and the English woman slapped her hard across the face and ranted about Eastern Europeans taking "our" jobs. Myself and other passengers exclaimed and told her off but we didn't do much else. The English woman left the bus. We told the Polish woman that we can help her as witnesses.

That is outrageous, I'm so glad I live in an Asian borough.

[siddy_06]

Drunks and racists are the norm on public transport.

In a perfect world, people would defend others... But I remember someone got stabbed on a bus for telling another passenger not to throw chips, so it's not surprising that people no longer defend others.

If it's during the day, there isn't much to worry about, but if it's in the evening then it's best just to get off the bus.

[Aky786Journalist]

Like some people have noted, you did the right thing Abdullah by making your point and trying to help. Hopefully it didn't make it worse. I'm sure the sisters were happy that someone did something to help rather than watch by.

I'm abit of a wimp in these scenarios, unless nothing is happening directly to me or with another person I'm with then I tend to be passive. But the only thing I've come across are rowdy people on buses or trains, no physicality.

It's also a more moral question that everybody faces, intervening in a situation when the consequences can be fatal. But I guess, trying to do something is better than living with a sense of regret or concern that you didn't.

[Mikebloke]

That is outrageous, I'm so glad I live in an Asian borough.

Yes, its so much better having Asians leering at you as if you aren't married to the Hijabi walking next to you when they full well know their own sons are having sexual relations with several, usually White, non-Muslim teenagers at the same time*

* Not literally, but switching between them depending on the day of the week.

(Sorry, not a particular jeer at you, just venting personal frustration ).

[Abdullah Ali]

Thanks all

[jamie]

racist are scum
racists who pick on girls are coward scum

[PhoeniX]

You did what you could in that time to protect the sisters. You had your business to attend to. You're not their mahram. They were not travelling with a mahram, so their family may be answerable. In some cases the sisters could have wanted you to mind your own business. The fact that you intervened and at least questioned the racist is a step in the right direction.

Best to move on from it. You did what you could in the time you had, not many would have done what you consider to be little when you did.

I'm sorry I agree with you consoling him, what he did was right, in the time, but to say Ali is not responsible is downright selfish.

Just because the women don't have their mahrem with them, does not give men the right to excuse anything they witness as wrong, to allow to happen. Then go home happy feeling that it was their fault they were without mahrem, that such a thing happened.

What country are you living in?

Saudi?

Refer to the story of Aisha RA who was left behind from the caravan as they were travelling and a lone companion guarded and transported her back.

Should he have left her to perish to wander aimlessly, because she was without mahrem? Please think.

Say (to them O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "I exhort you to one (thing) only: that you stand up for Allah's sake in pairs and singly, and reflect (within yourselves the life history of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم): there is no madness in your companion (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم). He is only a warner to you in face of a severe torment."
Saba, Chapter #34, Verse #46)

[PhoeniX]

Yes, its so much better having Asians leering at you as if you aren't married to the Hijabi walking next to you when they full well know their own sons are having sexual relations with several, usually White, non-Muslim teenagers at the same time*

* Not literally, but switching between them depending on the day of the week.

(Sorry, not a particular jeer at you, just venting personal frustration ).

You need to wear one of those white nighties, that sit above your ankles, and have a Quran tucked under arm. Oh, and huge long fuzzy beard. And perhaps a topi/skull cap.

(What? No-one told you this on your conversion? )

[Blueprint]

Islam has become fashion