The Conversation (0)
A new video has captured a horrific racist incident in a Glasgow supermarket.
Zaitoon Sharif was shopping at the Toryglen branch of Asda with her two daughters when the man began harassing her as she attempted to pay for her shopping.
The incident was filmed by her 19 year-old niece, who accompanied them shopping and posted the video to Facebook.
It shows the man shouting at Zaitoon, telling her:
Go back to your own country.
She can be heard replying:
This is my country, mate. I was born here.
Writing on Facebook, Zaitoon said:
This is the first time in my life I have been exposed to such blatant racism.
I scanned some of my items but they didn't show up so a staff member came over to get it through and asked if I was also buying the two carrier bags I had.
I answered that I was and at that moment a Scottish man decided to start spouting poison at me.
He was being verbally abusive and even suggested I should wait until I get outside and he would show me.
Zaitoon says she and her family were left scarred by the incident.
My daughter and niece are both autistic and were extremely frightened by the whole exchange.
For something like this to happen in my beautiful Scotland is just disgusting. I myself am OK-ish, but my girls were extremely shaken by the whole thing and very frightened.
Disappointingly, she also said that supermarket staff failed to take appropriate action.
I wasn't going to stand for it and I asked the staff to call the police.
It was only when I said to call security that the security guard arrived and then I asked the guard to call the police but he didn't. The man continued verbally abusing me.
After asking for the security guard and Asda staff about ten times to call the police, the manager finally called them.
I was very disappointed that the security guard and Asda staff didn't intervene themselves.
Nobody came to me and asked if me or the kids were okay. We were terrified by the whole thing.
Zaitoon says she wants to remind people who face racism that they are not alone.
If I take anything away from this incident, it's always to say stand up for yourself in a dignified manner.
If you see someone being harassed just stand beside them. You don't have to say anything or do anything just show the person they are not alone.
Hate crime, racism and Islamophobia has reared its ugly head again.
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland confirmed that an investigation was underway, which soon resulted in the arrest of a 38 year-old man who was later charged.
H/T: Daily Record
More: West Ham football fans chant antisemitic song on Manchester tram
Top 100
x