An elderly woman targeted a Muslim teacher with abuse and warned her students that she was going to “poison you” on the London Underground yesterday (December 11).
Speaking to Tell MAMA, she disclosed that it was the first time she faced any hate crime on the rail networks, adding that she followed up with a report to the British Transport Police (BTP).
She mentioned how the perpetrator had stood near the group on the Piccadilly Line, which included students under the age of ten having returned from a museum visit, before exiting the train, tapping on the window, and re-entering to begin the abuse.
Abusive comments included, “You are a teacher?! You shouldn’t be a teacher” before they pointed aggressively at the children and claimed, “Be careful, she’s going to poison you”.
Speaking about the anti-Muslim abuse she faced, the teacher told us: “My first instinct was to make sure that I protect the children, but then I thought: who is going to protect me?”
Thankfully, two upstanders spoke up and challenged the abuse, with supportive statements like “Actually, she is a good teacher” and “You should go to school and learn”.
The perpetrator soon exited the train.
After speaking with our Casework Team, the Muslim woman consented for our staff to liaise with the BTP further, as they agreed for us to tell their story anonymously.
In partnership with the BTP, Tell MAMA offers tailored safety tips for the rail networks which are free to download from our Resources page.
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