Wirral local community unite in support of victim of racial abuse
Categories: Latest News
Friday February 02 2018
Having been left in shock when her car was vandalized with a racist slur, a Muslim woman from Wirral was pleasantly surprised and heartened by the huge amount of support she received from the local community.
Nazma Miah spoke out about the incident in a local paper, the Liverpool Echo, and detailed how emotionally distressing it was to find a four-letter racial slur etched into the dirt on her car.
Having grown up in England since the age of three, she was horrified by the incident.
“I haven’t come across this kind of abuse in a long time – so I was really upset and I did cry – I just felt so rubbish”.
However, Ms Miah was equally, positively encouraged and surprised by the wide range of support she received, after posting the image of the vandalised car on Facebook.
“The number of people that have messaged me on Facebook is amazing, lots of people that I have never met have got in touch to send hugs and support”.
Amongst the several people who got in touch, one, Angie Jones, said: “absolute ignorant uneducated fools. I’m so sorry this happened. Totally unacceptable”.
Another, Karaya Rutter, said that “we’re not all like that. Hope you’re ok”.
Police in Merseyside recorded nearly 4,000 racially aggravated hate crimes over the last 3 years.
It was reported by the British Medical Association that racial discrimination is associated with severe deterioration of psychological health, with increased risk of anxiety, depression and chronic illness.
Anyone who suffers an Islamophobic hate crime and is in immediate danger should contact police on 999. You can report Islamophobic hate crime to police on the non-emergency number 101 or via MEND’s Islamophobia Response Unit (IRU) here.
Reporting incidents to MEND’s IRU is important because it allows us to monitor levels of abuse and compile accurate data on the levels of Islamophobia – though we would strongly encourage you to also report your experiences to the police.
It is also an important tool for victims as we can help you contact and deal with the police (if you choose to do so), and signpost you towards free legal advice and emotional support that may be available.