I have been harassed and abused by Muslims in public because I wear a Star of David. I'm Jewish, but not terribly religious, so I look like your average white girl. It's gotten to the point where I have to cover my necklace up when I'm in central London, especially if I'm on the tube.
I'm sorry but I highly doubt this; while there may be some anti-Jewish people out there (not just Muslims) it is a tiny minority. Most Muslims are extremely respectful of Jewish people and the Jewish faith; it is part of our religious beliefs to be so. Muslims get attacked on public transport and in London all the time too, particularly girls wearing hijab or niqab but the way you make it sound is that Muslims maurade around attacking people for their race and religion and almost as though it is a tenet of the Muslim faith (not just judging by this post but by your other hateful post in N&D as well). I have seen many people wearing star of David necklaces in many areas of London, and on the tube and no-one batted an eyelid. There is also a minority of Jewish people who harass and verbally abuse those who they perceive to be Arab or Muslim, it is unfortunate but I'd never dare claim they represent all Jewish people. xx
Here is what happened to me. Doubt all you want.
1. I was buying some bras at La Senza on Oxford Street. The person behind the till was a young Muslim woman, wearing a hijab. When I handed her my credit card, she saw my surname (which is a common Jewish one), sneered at me, and said that she wanted me to know that the money she earns serving 'my kind' go toward 'tearing down the criminal occupiers of Palestine'. I filed a complaint with the store and received a letter of apology.
2. In March my husband and I were taking a trip back to the US to visit my family. I was in my second trimester, so it was the best time to fly. In the ladies toilets at Heathrow, I was washing my hands alongside two women in full burqas. I happened to be wearing my Star of David necklace. One of the women glanced at it in the mirror, called me 'sharmouta', and walked out giggling with her friend.
3. I started my nursing training at the University of Edinburgh. Being interested in politics, I approached the President of the Muslim Society on campus. I told him that I thought it would be good for the Jewish society to get together with the Muslim Society to talk about ideas regarding the Middle East, tensions in the UK, and what can be done to build bridges. His reply was one of the most insulting things anyone has ever said to me. 'There are neither doves nor hawks in Jewish politics. Only pigs. And pigs aren't halal.'
4. My friend, Ilana, got beaten up in Camden tube station by a Muslim man. She also made the mistake of wearing a Star of David. She suffered two cracked ribs and a broken ankle. The security guards present did nothing, and the man ran off. She filed a report with the police, but they would not pursue the man.
5. My best friend and I were sexually harassed by a group of Asian men in Whitechapel in 2008 on our way home from dinner. I doubt they knew we were Jewish, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that they thought we wouldn't resist because we're white. 'Don't pretend you don't want it, white bird.'
I never EVER said that these people represent all Muslims, so don't put words in my mouth. I also never said that all Jews are good people. These are simply my experiences, and I refuse to apologize for being affected by them.
xx
, the first established communities of Muslims in the UK were white converts in the mid 1800s, nearly 100 years before the arrival of large numbers of Muslims from the Indian subcontinent. My friend's husband, his 3x great grandfather was the mayor of Stalybridge and also a convert to Islam in the 1850s.
