A man believed to be South African is the subject of an investigation led by the British Transport Police (BTP) following an incident that recently took place inside a UK train.
Watch: South African man heckles Muslim in UK train
Video footage of the incident was shared on social media by the Muslim man who was subjected to heckling and alleged racial slurs. In a thread, the man, whose particulars are not known at this stage, detailed what happened inside the carriage he shared with the South African.
According to his version of events, the incident took place at approximately 06:40 on Saturday 27 November 2021, inside a carriage that was, in his opinion, about 70% empty.
“I was reciting the Quran softly and quietly enough where I can hear myself. This passenger opposite me had an issue with me reading the Quran in a public space. Nobody seemed bothered but him tbf (to be fair). I told him to move if he was that pressed or to shut up, but he did neither,” he claimed.
The man believed to be South African was particularly perturbed by the recital and, in a fit of rage, he scolded the Muslim man for “disrespecting other people.”
“Do you see anybody of any other faith sitting here doing their morning prayers? Do you know why? Because they respect other people and that’s your problem, you got no respect for other people,” he exclaimed.
Moreover, the Muslim man revealed that more offensive and racial slurs were spewed by the passenger but these were not caught on camera.
Anyways, I’m calm and collected alhamdulilah but I think his ideology and actions can have a huge affect on others. I hope he realises his mistakes and changes his ways. May Allah guide him to the right path. Ameen.
— Jamie Box (@TooMuchSuugo) November 27, 2021
The incident which went viral on social media attracted the attention of British transport police who, in a tweet, confirmed that an investigation is underway.
“Be assured, this incident is currently under investigation. Such behaviour will never be tolerated on the railway network,” the tweet read.
Here is the video footage that’s gone viral:
So this happened to me on my way to work this morning. pic.twitter.com/r9BbN81rUn
— Jamie Box (@TooMuchSuugo) November 27, 2021