Fatima, a Black Muslim woman, began wearing the hijab after completing Hajj in 2018. She decided to wear the hijab despite her initial concerns about being the target of Islamophobic abuse. Her worst fears became a reality when she was involved in a verbal argument with another road user on her way to a car boot sale. Fatima was verbally abused by the other road user, who called her a “Fg Black Muslim” and told her to “go back to [her] country”. The suspect’s comments left Fatima distraught and doubting whether to continue wearing the hijab. Her confidence to practise her faith publicly and safely was shattered and she was fearful that something similar, or worse, could happen to her again.
To add to the psychological impact of the incident, Fatima was made to believe that nothing would come of a report to the police. During the incident, the suspect said that nobody would do anything if she reported the suspect. After the incident, she was repeatedly advised by her friends not to report the case to the police as they would not do anything about the incident. Despite these comments from the suspect and her friends alike, she contacted the IRU.
When Fatima called the IRU, our caseworker encouraged her to report the incident to the police despite Fatima’s belief that the police would not help her. Fatima had taken a photograph of the suspect when the incident occurred which helped the police to identify him, and she was granted a court hearing. In the weeks leading up to the court hearing, Fatima expressed that she did not wish to be seen by the suspect, so the court arranged a curtained section for her from which she could give evidence, if needed, without being seen. On the day of the trial, an IRU caseworker attended the court hearing with Fatima, and the suspect was found to be guilty. The offender was ordered to pay £100 in compensation and undertake 100 hours of unpaid work.
Fatima wrote to the IRU after the conviction. She said: “I wanted to say thanks so much for [the IRU’s] support. I could never have had the great strength to attend the court if not for your kind advice and all. I will also like to commend the kind decision and the role played by the Muslim sister [IRU caseworker] that attended the court. She was a pillar of support”. She added: “[With] Allah’s will, we will all one day live in a world where every single human regardless of their colour, race or religion is able to live comfortably and happily without fear of harassment or assault”.