An investigation into a hate crime has been launched by East London police following the circulation of a viral video capturing an attack on Muslim women.
The incident occurred in Romford on Saturday, where a group of hijab-wearing women pushing shopping trolleys were targeted by a white male wearing glasses.
The Redbridge Community Action Group shared the footage on social media, depicting the man aggressively following the women along South Street, a busy shopping area. He was heard shouting and making threatening gestures as the women attempted to leave the scene, stating, “We don’t want you here.” The assailant in the video used profanity and derogatory terms, referring to the women as “Muslim traitors.”
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that they are treating the incident as a hate crime and have pledged to investigate it promptly. Scotland Yard released a statement acknowledging the incident and assuring the public that they will be speaking with the victims.
Vaseem Ahmed, a 55-year-old who witnessed the attack while near Barclays Bank on the high street during a pro-Palestine rally, criticized the assailant. Ahmed urged him to exhibit the same behavior in front of Muslim men and face the consequences. He condemned the targeting of innocent people and described the attacker’s words as offensive and incoherent due to extreme anger.
Ahmed criticized government ministers, including Rishi Sunak, for their failure to address Islamophobia, which he believes fosters such acts. He emphasized the vulnerability of visibly Muslim individuals, especially women, highlighting the unfortunate reality of the situation. Ahmed noted the lack of intervention from bystanders and called on people to speak out and confront such incidents without necessarily risking physical harm.
