Al-Istiqamah: Did
you report the incident?
Umm Ruqayya: I wanted to, but the
van was moving so fast that I didn't get the number-plate.
I really should have done so then at least there is a log
of the number of rising incidents. That reminds me of another
incident which happened to me when I was on the bus with my
daughter. An English woman poked me in the back quite hard.
She had lots of shopping; it was a Saturday afternoon and
quite crowded on the bus. I presumed it was an accident and
didn't say anything. After a while she caught my eye and said,
"I'm surprised you're still here". I don't
know this person. I said, "Sorry?" and
she said, "You lot. I'm surprised you're still here.
I thought you would have left the country by now – after what
you've done." She was looking from me to my daughter,
as if we were the perpetrators of this crime (7/7).
Al-Istiqamah: When
was this?
Umm Ruqayya: It was at the end of
July 2005.
Al-Istiqamah: Just
a few weeks after 7/7?
Umm Ruqayya: Yes. Having been born
and brought up in London all my life, I can't consider anywhere
else as home. I've got used to thinking of myself as being
part of this society in which I was born, in which my children
were born, in which we work and contribute. Our taxes go towards
the society and I do voluntary work in the local community.
I was amazed that this woman couldn't see that we were equal
citizens.
Al-Istiqamah: She
criminalised you because of your hijab and abaya?
Umm Ruqayya: Yes and even if a person
does see a Muslim woman and a child, in what way are they
connected to 7/7? She knows full well that 7/7 is nothing
to do with myself or my daughter. We couldn't be suicide whatever,
seeing as we're fairly living and breathing. It was pure bigotry.
Al-Istiqamah: What
did you say to her?
Umm Ruqayya: I said "Excuse
me? If you can't say anything good…" I couldn't
even bring myself to swear as that wasn't how we were brought
up. But I did raise my voice to her. I could see that my daughter
was shrinking and cringing during the exchange.
Al-Istiqamah: Did
any of the passengers on the bus come to your aid?
Umm Ruqayya: No. The silent majority
who know what's taking place is wrong, they simply stood by.
I was shaking when we got off the bus.
Al-Istiqamah:
Did you discuss the incident
with your daughter when you came home?
Umm Ruqayya: I did try to, but she
completely froze up. She kept saying "Nothing happened.
It's not a big deal." It was a big deal
— to both of us. And all of these 'not big deals' are
going to have an effect. We can't gauge it at this moment.
Either our children are going to pretend this isn't happening
or…but attacks don't go away simply because you shy away from
them.
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