Muslim victim undeterred by alleged attack
A Muslim grandmother who says she was assaulted by an unruly Orange Line passenger says she’s “stronger” than the 34-yearold man who is facing charges for allegedly hurling racial slurs at her and hitting her with an umbrella.
“This man can’t fast 17 hours a day,” the 61-year-old Malden woman told the Herald yesterday as she observes the holy month of Ramadan.
“Me, I’m fasting 17 hours a day. No water, nothing,” she said. “I’m a woman. I’m strong. I’m stronger than him.”
The Herald is withholding the woman’s name because she was the alleged victim of a crime.
Sean P. Devlin, who lists addresses in North Reading and a Boston substance abuse facility, was ordered held on $10,000 bail Tuesday following his arraignment in Boston Municipal Court on charges including committing a civil rights violation, making a false bomb threat, and destruction of property of more than $250.
The woman, a native of Morocco who has three young granddaughters, said she was wearing a headscarf while riding an inbound Orange Line train Monday night when Devlin began shouting anti-Muslim slurs at her and accusing her of having a bomb that would “kill us all,” according to court documents. The woman also said Devlin pushed her off of the train by shoving her in the back with an umbrella and punched a window until it shattered.
“Delvin began to make vulgar comments to her and yell out to the other passengers that (victim) was a Muslim terrorist and had a bomb in her bag and was planning to blow up the train,” courts records said. A T cop called to the scene said he saw Delvin, “Yelling ‘(expletive) these Muslims! She is trying to kill us all. She has a bomb on the train and she is going to blow it up and kill everyone.’”
Police said they found three small bottles of alcohol in his pockets.
At least one witness corroborated the woman’s story.
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley condemned the alleged attack.
“Behavior like this is inexcusable,” Conley said in a statement. “There’s no place for hate in Boston or Suffolk County.”
In addition to the most recent charges, Devlin was ordered held without bail due to previous cases from numerous jurisdictions on charges including resisting arrest, trespassing, drug possession and disorderly conduct.
The woman said that when Devlin insulted her faith and told her to go “back to her country” she stood up for herself and asked him what made him feel that way. Having lived in Greater Boston for seven years, the woman said she feels like an American at heart and truly loves Massachusetts.
The fact that her fellow passengers offered words of support was comforting, she said.
“He pushed me. He talked to me bad. No problem for me,” she said. “I never had no problem with nobody here. People said, ‘It’s not good. He’s not normal. Don’t worry.’”