Vile abuse of Muslim women caught on phone
A young Kiwi woman and her fellow Muslim friends have been the subject of a vile and racist attack in the Waikato.
Mehpara Khan used her cellphone to record the incident, which occurred when she and four other Muslim friends stopped for a break in Huntly on their way back to Auckland.
The 28-year-old communications consultant said she and her friends had been travelling back from a trip to New Plymouth when two of their group needed a toilet stop.
‘‘All of a sudden this woman comes out of the bathroom and starts swearing at us and telling us that we don’t belong there and that we are Muslim b ...... , that need to f-off, basically,’’ said Khan.
The woman threw a beer can at Khan and her two friends.
‘‘At this point I decided to start filming her, we couldn’t leave because our friends were still in the bathroom.’’
The woman who carried out the attack is shown in the recording ordering Khan and her friends to get back in the car and throwing a beer can at her.
‘‘Get in your f ...... car, hurry up – do you not understand?’’
When the woman realises she is being recorded on the cellphone she approaches Khan and tries to hit her.
‘‘Are you recording you f ...... , stupid b ..... Get the f... off,’’ she shouts.
‘‘Hey, I was born here, I’ve got the right to be here,’’ Khan replied.
The woman’s tirade continued before she threw beer at Khan and her friends.
Khan said the abuser also took a swing at her, which she was able to block.
When she took another swing, her friend blocked it.
‘‘She threw another beer can at us, which missed thankfully, but now I stink like beer, I’m sticky and it’s not great – especially considering we don’t drink,’’ she added.
Khan said the woman eventually walked away, but returned as the group of women were securely in their car.
‘‘We locked the doors and were about to back out when the woman returned and tried to get into the car and started slamming on the windows.’’
Once the group arrived back in Auckland they lodged a complaint with police.
Khan said she had noticed a rise in anti-Islamic sentiment.
‘‘This type of fear and reaction is happening more and more across New Zealand.
‘‘I don’t know why she felt more entitled to be there than I was, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter – we all deserve to be in this country.’’
The Islamic Women’s Council’s Anjum Rahman said she was disappointed by the attack, but not surprised.
‘‘Muslim women are often the ones who bear the brunt of attacks by strangers in public places.’’
There had been growing fear among organisations that there would be a backlash against the Muslim population, following the Trump Administration’s travel ban on Muslims from seven countries.
Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy had urged the women to contact police as soon as possible.
‘‘Muslim women and youngsters tell us they are increasingly targeted by strangers, this is not the New Zealand I love.
‘‘We need to stand up for others and let them know they’re not alone: we need to let those who think they can attack innocent people that we will not let them normalise hatred.’’