A Pakistani-Welsh woman shared her recent experience with racism on the streets of Cardiff.
Yasmin shared her recent racist encounter at the place she calls home, explaining how prejudice continues to plague the United Kingdom.
Here is her story.
A Vile Incident
Yasmin recounts how she was was walking past a group of teens one day, when one of them called her a ‘paki. This racial slur is used for people with Pakistani ethnicity, or sometimes as a broad term of derision that is used to refer to South-East Asians.
The incident happened while Yasmin was walking down the street at 11 pm all alone.
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In response, Yasmin ‘asked him to say it louder and to her face‘.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154021818006683649
This wasn’t Yasmin’s first time experiencing racism in Britain, no wonder given how their hate crime statistics have skyrocketed since Brexit.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154022579730079745
This led to a verbal spat as Yasmin wasn’t in the mood for backing down to racists.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154022581512658944
Terrified that Yasmin wasn’t taking their crap, the girls from the group urged the oldest boy in their posse (the instigator) to apologize to her.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154022582989053958
At this point, the racist teen started to deny his crime. In an embarrassing turn of events for this racist, his friends wanted nothing to do with him at this point.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154022584452882432
That’s when Yasmin threatened legal action.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154022854217883649
Of course, that’s when this teen boy decides to pull out the privilege card.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154023585889095680
Now the girls in the group are begging their friend to apologize rather than drag them all into legal trouble.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154023588254638080
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Yasmin opines that because these people were being held accountable for their remarks, thats why there were calls to apologize to her and skedaddle. It would’ve been nice if they had the decency to oppose racism because that’s what civil human beings do.
Things turn ugly as threats of violence are soon made:
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154023801178480640
It is important to mention that Britain faces an epidemic when it comes to racial/religious hate crimes. Threats of violence are serious because many people have been stabbed as a result of Islamophobia as well as their skin color.
Yasmin is all too aware of this painful reality. Yet she still doesn’t back down.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154025029874663424
At this point, a random white guy jogged by and asked Yasmin to just ‘allow it’ and let it be.
No, random white guy, that’s how casual racism has morphed into straight out hate crimes in UK.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154025032261218304
Yasmin had to explain to the guy how racism is not acceptable.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154025034350059521
At this point, the police get involved.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154025036505899010
The hormones wear off at this point as police sirens wail. The teens’ flight instinct kicks in and they decide to book it out of there.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154025248456630272
Yasmin explains how her last racist encounter in Britain was even worse, given she was accompanied by her four-year-old niece.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154025705656770560
With all this rampant racist encounters in Britain, why doesn’t she report it every time? Most cops are racist too that’s why.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154026131290542080
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154026953529319424
Last time Yasmin reported a case, things didn’t end well.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154026956226211840
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154026959036305408
Not surprisingly that teenager didn’t even have to give a begrudging apology. Even when the police got involved. So what’s the point of reporting a racist encounter in Britain when it’s nothing more than documentation.
https://twitter.com/punkistani93/status/1154027546083758081
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Is Europe Becoming a Den for Hate Crimes and Racism?
Besides racist encounters in Britain, all of Europe has seen a rise in hate crimes, Islamophobia, and neo-Nazism in recent years. This can mostly be traced back to right-wing politics that promise restoration to ‘European greatness.’
Europe faces a dilemma. Traditionally, Europe doesn’t want to let immigrants in because they’re ultra-liberal. They allow it given how low the birth rate has fallen across the European Union. The EU can’t sustain its’ workforce without immigrants after all.
These immigrants drive their economy, contribute through taxation, and are integrated into their society. Immigrants, such as those from the subcontinent, deserve better.
via Independent UK
