Ruhi Rahman was travelling on the Tyne & Wear Metro with her sister when they were approached by a man who launched into an abusive tirade, telling them “this is my country”, demanding they leave their seats and telling other passengers she could “bomb the train”.
Advertisement
“He was saying “oh, do you want them to bomb the place”, really annoyed because people were sticking up for us”.
As he left the train the passengers cheered and clapped.
Ruhi, 23, has thanked those who came to her rescue following last Saturday’s Metro incident.
“He was then saying stuff like “this is my country” and my sister told him we were born here and it was our country too”, she told the Newcastle paper.
“Then the other passengers started getting involved, telling him to leave us alone”.
“The women [sic] beside me started to cry because she was so disgusted with his comments and she said no one should go through this and everyone also gave me a hug”, she wrote.
Rehman said she was shocked at first because she didn’t know what was happening but, before she could respond, the women beside her were standing up to the man.
She later told Newcastle’s local Chronicle newspaper: “He shouted “get up out of that seat” at me”. Just like how more than 3,000 Geordies, including many from the region stood shoulder to shoulder against right wing group Pegida earlier this year in Newcastle city centre. “They were my angels that day and I can’t thank them enough”.
Ms Rehman admitted feeling apprehensive of anti-Muslim hate crimes since the Paris terror attacks.
‘It made me feel really optimistic and hopeful’.
Metro operator DB Regio Tyne and Wear has urged anyone with information about the incident to contact the police.
“A police investigation is now under way and we will work with them to help trace the culprit”. Incidents of this nature are rare on Metro and they will not be tolerated. The inspector said that the force will always take a tough stand against any kind of attack on any individual or minority group.
More should be done to encourage victims of Islamophobic attacks in the North East to report it to police, it was claimed today.
Ashley Powys boarded the Victoria line train at Oxford Circus at 8pm on Monday and sat opposite a woman dressed in a hijab.
Advertisement
Later in the exchange, the boy apparently announced to the train carriage that the two women were a threat, and that they could blow up the train.
