If you are Muslim.

[Masher]

Hopefully this doesn't come across as insensitive. It is to do with the photograph of the lady in the brown headscarf walking across Westminster Bridge after the attack. I thought she looked terrified, distraught, and very, very shaken. The photographer has just confirmed this.

One thing that crossed my mind I think, is that if I was muslim and caught up in such an act I would really fear for my safety. I would be scared the people there may turn against me, I would be scared that I would be accused of being involved, and I would be scared the security services may do both of these things too.

It got me thinking about how I would feel in everyday life in Britain. I just wondered whether you all feel safe here, or if it changes through various regions and depends on where you are?

If you don't feel safe, or there are times when you don't feel safe, what can I do that would make it better? I live in London if that helps.

Noone bit so you linked to it again?

www.channel4.com/programmes/three-wives-one-husband/on-demand/61760-001

I'll give up now as made a mess of the irrelevant links.

Oh OK, the right wingers have turned up to point out that Muslims are not HUMAN! How predictable!

LordRothermere I don't think many of us have problems with headscarves on Muslim women, it's face coverings that make it hard for us (or me) to communicate with them generally or understand facial expressions. If you can't see when someone is smiling or not smiling etc and only a pair of eyes, that, to me, if off putting and can take me off guard.

Well you just have to get over that

Superfly, this is true in part. We may have social difficulties based on our preconceived notions of norms and communication, we must own these and work hard to interact with the human being in front of us, instead of their clothing.

However it is definitely not a literal truth. I have no problem whatsoever communicating with people from all different backgrounds, cultures, ages etc. Men who I am barely acquainted with can recognise me in the street, and more interestingly, small babies smile back when I smile at them (from behind my face veil). So I don't believe that there is any literal difficulty with communication, integration is certainly a two way street.

The HUMAN reference was in relation to both the man and the woman who appear to be waking on in phone mode.

Trust somebody to deliberately misinterpret.

I reiterate: it is normal human behaviour to stop what you are doing and help or ask if you can help. It is not acceptable to carry on as normal.

...walking on...

LouKout if that was directed at me...

Well to be honest it makes me less inclined to want to interact with someone wearing a face covering (I'm sure they don't want to interact with me anyway) so we have the divisive way of thinking and Muslims etc alienating themselves in this way.

A poster a few pages back said she started off wearing a face covering (niqab?) but found that when she switched to a headscarf the general public were more accepting or approachable towards her.

Kanga I'm not being rude but I can't see with a veil if you're smiling! Honestly!

We cannot ignore the lack of cohesion in many areas of the country. Of course that doesn't excuse racism, hate crimes, abuse etcetera. But it cannot be ignored that there are many communities who are isolated. It's just disingenuous to try and conflate the two issues (hate crime /integration) - one is not the same as the other. Integration is not a dirty word.

Theyre not alienating themselves. They are wearing what they choose to wear.

SuperFly if you genuinely want to help then please continue to try. Everyone I interact with every week, strangers, acquaintances, babies, toddlers can see when I smile.

I really disagree with the way that whenever there is a terrorist attack, the emphasis seems to quickly turn away from the victims and towards how the perpetrator's community is at greater risk. This is deliberately missing the point: the root cause of this is the terrorist incident itself. Nothing excuses the actions of these people.

The fact is that the major terrorist threat to the western world comes from Islamic extremists. Many muslims do not share the views of the extremists and many muslims disagree with their actions. Almost all of the rest of western society is aware of this and attacks on muslims are largely unheard of. (When was the last time a white European or American charged their car into a crowd of people in protest at a muslim taking similar action? Never, I think.)

For what it's worth, the woman in the photo looks unconcerned or unaware of what is going on around her, which should be a worry to all of us, but I don't think it is fair to tar a whole religion by the actions of either this woman or the attacker.

Well to be honest it makes me less inclined to want to interact with someone wearing a face covering

Well thats what i think you need to get over -sorry

Kanga in fact I'd welcome more interaction with Muslim women in headscarves, like at a cafe etc. we are all the same underneath, we all breathe the same air etc.

What I learned more than anything due to working with them where I worked was that ok sometimes their English was bad (they did really try though if they wanted to be understood) but on the whole they were very friendly, polite and charming to me and I was the same back. Why not?

I can't communicate with people wearing face veils. I can't see their lips and I partially lip read.

LouKout yes but if someone isn't smiling generally or interacting of course you won't respond in kind.

Like Kanga says "try to interact more" so of course I will make the effort and do so.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/forest-hill-stabbing-kill-muslims-attacker-suspect-station-london-train-a7470016.html

Good. Thats what i mean by "get over" :)

For what it's worth, the woman in the photo looks unconcerned or unaware of what is going on around her, which should be a worry to all of us, but I don't think it is fair to tar a whole religion by the actions of either this woman or the attacker
Have you seen the close up? She looks shocked and terrified.

I think the onus is on both communities. One to get over it and make a bit of effort in including and the other community to make more effort in making themselves more approachable - and recognising the some types of dress makes one seem less approachable.
(Whether that's full on goth wear, very unusual quirky clothes, face veils etc )

@LordRothermereBlackshirtCunt

Thanks for making me laugh on what has become another Muslims vs us thread

For what it's worth, the woman in the photo looks unconcerned or unaware of what is going on around her, which should be a worry to all of us, but I don't think it is fair to tar a whole religion by the actions of either this woman or the attacker.

Absolute rubbish. And if you are someone that makes a snap assumption like that from one still photo, you should have a word with yourself.
I've seen two photos clearly taken a very brief instant apart. She is clearly distraught. You'd need to be blind not to see it.
I feel desperately sorry for her - not only caught up in something that will haunt her for the rest of her life, but now had her image splashed across social media by some fucking redneck and unfortunately people like you fall for it.

Theres no "right" way to look after witnessing terror attack anyway.