British Muslim thanks 'Geordie heroes' for defending her against racist thug
A BRITISH Muslim woman who was viciously abused by a thug on a train has thanked passengers who stepped in to defend her.
A British Muslim woman has thanked passengers for stepping in after she was abused on a train
Ruhi Rehman, 23, was terrified after the man said she would "bomb the train" as she sat with her sister on the Metro in Newcastle a week after the Paris attacks.
The yob told passengers that Ms Rehman - who is from Newcastle and has lived in Britain all her life - should "get up out of that seat" because "this is my country".
But fellow commuters, disgusted by the man's behaviour, stepped in to defend Ms Rehman before forcing him off the train.
Passengers - many of them football fans - clapped and cheered as the man left the train in shame.
Ms Rehman had been travelling from Newcastle to Whitley Bay with her sister when they were approached by the man on a busy train.
She said: "He shouted 'get up out of that seat' at me.
“I was shocked at first because I didn’t really know what was happening.
“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."
Ruhi Rehman was verbally abused on a train a week after the Paris attacks
My sister told him we were born here and it was our country too
Ms Rehman believes the man was drunk and smelt alcohol on his breath.
She added: “It was then the other passengers started getting involved, telling him to leave us alone. Then he said to them ‘what, do you want her to bomb this train?’.”
A group of men then demanded the thug to leave Ms Rehman and her sister alone and to get off the train.
Ms Rehman said: “There was no violence or anything, they just made it clear he had to leave.
"I'd never seen anything like it. I have never felt more proud of being a Geordie. It was lovely that everyone came together to help us and I can’t thank them all enough.
“It made me feel really optimistic and hopeful.”
Ms Rehman appeared on Good Morning Britain to speak out about her experience of anti-Muslim abuse
Ms Rehman thanked those who helped by saying: "It was the true Geordie spirit that shone through. They were my angels that day and I can't thank them enough."
Hate crime against Muslims living in Britain has soared since the terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.
Racial attacks against Muslims have risen by almost 300 per cent to 115 in the week following the atrocities in the French capital on November 13.
The number of anti-Muslim attacks was 42 in the same period the previous year, according to Anti-Muslim hate and Islamophobia group Tell MAMA.
Most victims have been Muslim girls and women aged from 14 to 45 wearing a hijab.
Ruhi Rehman abused on a train to Newcastle
Ms Rehman said: "After what happened in Paris I have felt a bit paranoid. But why should we? Just because of a few extremist people.”
Appearing on Good Morning Britain this morning, she said: "I was really shocked because no one has ever spoken to me like that before."
In response to the Paris attacks, Ms Rehman said: "I can't believe there are people like that out there doing these things. It's making us look bad and we're not like that."
She added: "I would say learn about Islam and then you can tell that Islam is a religion of peace."
Ms Rehman said she was touched by other passengers stepping in to defend her
Katrina Barber, who was wearing a burka, was sitting opposite Ms Rehman and her sister when the man started hurling vile abuse at the pair.
Ms Barber, 41, said: “They were a lovely couple of girls. We were talking about the weather being cold before this man came up and started shouting at them for no reason.
“He was quite intimidating and was screaming in a really violent way. A lady and her daughter moved out of the way because they were so scared."
She added: “But other people just jumped to her defence and, in the end, everyone came together and made it clear we would not stand for this type of behaviour.
“I was so moved by what happened, I gave the girls a hug as I got off the Metro.”
The incident happened on the Newcastle Metro
Police are now investigating the incident which happened last Saturday.
Ms Rehman's story has also received a strong reaction on social media, with people praising the actions of the passengers.
Sharon Kelly, managing director at DB Regio Tyne and Wear, which runs the Newcastle Metro, said: “We urge anyone with information about this incident to contact the police.
“The safety of our passengers is paramount. I can assure customers that incidents of this nature are rare on Metro and they will not be tolerated.
“A police investigation into this matter is now underway and we will work with them to help trace those responsible.”
A similar anti-Muslim attack recently took place in London when a young girl wearing a hijab was abused on the Tube before a man stepped in to defend her.