Hijabi Woman Targeted with Hate Speech on London Bus: Report

TEHRAN (IQNA) – A Muslim mother wearing hijab who was travelling with her children on a London bus, reportedly faced a torrent of anti-Muslim abuse as a man started shouting at her.

The perpetrator shouted “Go back to your country. Go back to your country – I am very racist, you don’t belong here, I hate Muslims,” according to a report by TellMAMAUK.com.

The shocking incident occurred on Friday morning (July 8) in north London, as the number 91 bus travelled towards Tottenham.

Three women, described as Black, Somali and white, shielded the family and the bus driver also challenged the perpetrator, ordering them to stop the abuse and to leave the bus.

The report comes as anti-Muslim hate crimes and Islamophobia have been on the rise across the United Kingdom.

According to a new study by the Muslim Engagement and development group (MEND), roughly half of the mosques across the United Kingdom have experienced attacks in the last three years.

The report, which studied data from more than 100 mosques across the country, also found that 35% of Islamic institutions experienced a religiously motivated attack at least once a year.

MEND regional manager Nayeen Haque says the data is “indicative of a wider trend of Islamophobia.”

“We believe the Islamophobic narrative being peddled in wider society is to blame for the rise in attacks we've seen in the Muslim community,” he added

He says there is a "level of anxiety" that many Muslims now face when visiting their places of worship.

Soruce: Agencies