Two Muslim sisters were racially abused at a train station in Auckland for wearing the hijab, 48 hours after gunmen killed 51 worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch.
The two young sisters were at the Mount Albert train station on Sunday, and were horrified when a young man approached them aggressively.
Iqra, 21, told her family that it would be safe to leave their home and insisted they would be okay.
She was at the station with her younger sister Asma when a drunk man started shouting at them that he hated girls.
Iqra told NZ Herald: “He came back up to us and he was like ”what are you looking at? You Muslims, go back to your country”’, and he repeated it about two or three more times.”
She then tried to contact security for help at the station, but they weren’t around to attend to the incident.
The perpetrator put his mobile phone in the women’s face whilst telling them he was going to film them before repeating: “Go back to your country!”
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
Iqra said: “He started swearing saying ”you f**king Muslims, go back to your country, you f**king ugly Muslims, you need to go back to your country.’
The siblings said the abuse they faced was “terrifying” and left shaking in fear.
Iqra was scared that the man was going to attack them with the bottle he was carrying and said for the first time ever she felt unsafe in New Zealand
The two sisters said they were surprised there were no security guards around.
Sadly, Iqra and other female relatives are now considering no longer wearing the hijab in public due to the Islamophobic climate of fear.
She added: “I know this is only one man and most people have been supportive of Muslims but it was so distressing.”
Iqra managed to contact the police who informed her they would meet her at the next train station.
After she filed a complaint, Iqra was told the perpetrator was known to police.
