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.

Al-Noor 24:31, Al-Noor 24:60, Al-Ahzaab 33:59, Al-Ahzaab 33:53... would you like some references for ahadith too?

A blind man could see the poor woman was upset about the situation. Some people just love to stir up trouble and conflict.

Its awful that Muslim posters are being asked to prove and justify exactly which verse of their own scripture they base their decision on. Frankly it is demeaning and utterly patronising. We need to learn to respect Muslim women's autonomy and decision making rights.

Headofthehive55

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 )

Goths and people in quirky clothes - whom you list first - do not cover their faces.

Thank you HatHen.

I will never understand how peoples clothing can be an excuse for hatred or dislike.
As far as I am concerned, my British (and quite possibly out of date) values mean that whatever I instinctively feel about someone based on their appearance, I will do my best to completely hide my feelings and act totally normally towards them, I certainly wont feel like its ok to disrespect or abuse them because they are part of a minority or weaker section of society. I hate that this is no longer a general British value

in Islam it would be very bad manners and inappropriate to stop to look or stare at someone in a personal situation of any kind (eg accident, injury, meltdown etc)

I think it would be very bad manners for anyone regardless of religion to just stop and look or stare. I think the thing here is she looks like she wasn't helping.

But this is just a snapshot, we have no idea if she had already helped, or she was answering a call from her worried family or indeed was calling 999 because she couldn't think what else to do. I certainly don't think she was just happily breezing past so as not to miss her bus. If shes been singled out because of her headscarf I am sure everyone who isn't a racist idiot will think this appalling.

People are so quick to judge. I have no idea how I would react in that scenario. And I hope I never get to find out.

looked at all 4 verses nowhere does it mention covering the head

Al-Noor 24:31'And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, '
note how it says over there chests
Al-Noor 24:60 'And women of post-menstrual age who have no desire for marriage - there is no blame upon them for putting aside their outer garments [but] not displaying adornment. But to modestly refrain [from that] is better for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.' talkingf about only certain aged women and again no mention of covering the hair
Al-Ahzaab 33:59 'Prophet, enjoin your wives and your daughters and the believing women, to draw a part of their outer coverings around them.It is likelier that they will be recognised and not molested.Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.'
no mention of head covering just seems to suggest its more likely to be molested depending on what you wear...

Al-Ahzaab 33:53 O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses, except when leave is given to you for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter, and when you have taken your meal, disperse, without sitting for a talk. Verily, such (behaviour) annoys the Prophet, and he is shy of (asking) you (to go), but Allah is not shy of (telling you) the truth. And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. And it is not (right) for you that you should annoy Allah's Messenger, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him (his death). Verily! With Allah that shall be an enormity.'
so where does it mention headcovering again? not in any verse you mentioned

I think when your fellow human beings are in need - as those people lying maimed on Westminster Bridge were - everyone should put ideas about invasion of privacy to one side. Good grief. When someone is in extremis you think about their immediate and desperate need NOT about their "dignity".

She was presumably not helping because the person she walked past already had multiple people in attendance.
What was she meant to do - stop and get in the way in case some racist fuckwit decided to splash her image all over the internet?

Eh?? When there are lots of people already stopped to give assistance we should all crowd round for a good gawk? No thank you.

I'd be afraid if I was muslim right now. Absolutely. Im not muslim but not white neither and even im afraid of how attitudes are changing. These are comments made on that pic on the same day it happened. These people are actually voicing their disgusting opinions in public.

Even if it was forbidden to wear a head scarf in my religion but I still chose to wear it. That would be my choice that you would have no say over.
Why should I only feel like I should do the bare minimum just to satisfy other people.

user
That's downright stupid and very offensive of you!! (Yes I put TWO exclamation marks )
I for one would absolutely appareciate that people do not picture me lying injured even if it's a terrorist attack. FFS. Medical help is what they need. Not every passer by knows how to do that and the best that such people can do is to leave the area ASAP so as not hinder the emergency services and medical personnels.

No one is talking about stopping to gawp or stare. What I mean is the instinctive reaction to be stopped in your tracks by unbelievable carnage right before your very eyes. It might also be respectful to put your phone away.

Why should she put her phone away?
Maybe she was messaging her Mum.
Maybe she was phoning the police.

Have you been witness to such an incident user?

you cannot say how you would react.

How do you feel about non Muslims wearing a hijab? Or a headscarf in that style?

Really user? You know exactly how everyone in the world reacts in a crises situation - and that is to stop and have a good stare?
And you have no idea what she was doing on her phone... calling for help, contacting loved ones... I presume judging from the look of distress on her face, she wasn't browsing the Next sale.

And you know what? When I was eighteen, I saw a little girl hit by a vehicle, fatally as it turns out. I was just on the other side of the road. A crowd of people immediately rushed to assist, but I was far too scared to go near, terrified of what I'd see. Instead I rushed home to my parents.

I also shudder how Keith Palmer's daughter will one day look t the pictures of yesterday and see the blood of her dying father on the hands of a serving MP.
I hope with all my heart she keeps thinking it's the blood of a very brave man who I am proud to call my father but I don't think it won't leave her traumatised.

yellow6 assuming you cant read or understand classical arabic this video might help if my link works that is

Try taking a look here for a more pictures of that poor woman walking past and the other non Muslim people walking past and not looking half as distressed as she did.

yellow6 even in the translation you quoted it talks about headcovers also, if you dont know this, hijab does not just mean headscarf

Don't know why some are talking as if no one at all was helping and she was first on the scene.
Can't help? Carry on walking, clear the scene. And something horrific had just happened there, to more than one person. I'd be on the phone telling family I was ok, too. But I wouldn't be wearing a head covering so no one would give a shit.

Yellow6 believes she is an expert on the Quran and Hadith , that's fine cus we Muslim women don't have a clue what we're doing and we need folk like yellow to keep us informed