We have been contacted by a distraught young Muslim woman who was pictured walking on Westminster Bridge just after the terrorist attack yesterday which was carried out by West Midlands based terrorist, Khalid Masood.
The young Hijab wearing Muslim woman was pictured as she walked past victims and the circulated picture, which was used by anti-Muslim bigots and news agencies, has undermined the confidence of an innocent young woman who was also caught up in the melee after the attacks. The reality is that the victim has informed us of her shock having seen and walked into the incident and her further distress on having her pictures circulated by US and UK based anti-Muslim haters. In fact, pictures were also circulated of her with Nazi Swastikas around her arms, thereby playing to anti-Muslim tropes of all Muslims being extremists and potential killers.
Sadly, press sources have also used her pictures and the victim has expressly asked that her picture not be used and be taken down from such sites. The greater the exposure of the picture, the greater has been the harassment and the intimidation of this young Muslim female who found herself in the middle of a situation that affected the whole country.
This scenario shows how heated and charged the whole situation around Muslim communities has become where a young Muslim female has in the eyes of some, become the focal point after a major terroriist ncident. This is not only perverse, it fetishes Muslims from being citizens and Londoners, into bestial characters, which feeds the cycle of hatred against Muslims.