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‘.
So I got racially abused yday on the street and there was a lot of interesting parts of it.
First off, the group of people were about 18/19-ish years old. The eldest boy of the group called me a paki as I walked by +tried to ignore me as I asked him to say it louder+2 my face
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
This wasn’t Yasmin’s first time experiencing racism in Britain, no wonder given how their hate crime statistics have skyrocketed since Brexit.
He tried to ignore me but I fucking *flipped* knowing this would quickly escalate and the louder I was, the more likely people were to defend me if this was to escalate.
This is easily the 15th+ time I've been racially abused in this particular way in #Cardiff growing up
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
This led to a verbal spat as Yasmin wasn’t in the mood for backing down to racists.
I asked him where he was from, and he said "CF24" and I turned around and said "one dydy ti ddim yn siarad Cymraeg, god, that's embarrassing, isn't it?" and I kept on
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
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.
The group are intimidated by me at this point [all of me, at 5'3, with a bag of biriyani and naan, all 7st 7 pounds of me] and the two girls are beginning the oldest boy to apologise to me as he sneers at me
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
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.
he says "sorry I didn't call you a paki", something you lot are so sensitive, rararara, and his friends are really fucking embarrassed and ask him to stop saying it because if she didn't think you said it before she thinks it now
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
That’s when Yasmin threatened legal action.
One of them says "fucking stop it, Scott" and I said "where u been out tonight scott? Pakibashing? shall I call my people, shall we get 40 roath pakistanis on road to a white man who started on a tiny woman at 11pm alone on the street? or will you apologise to me?"
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
Of course, that’s when this teen boy decides to pull out the privilege card.
Scott goes "I went to Sainsbury's"
I said "balling, bare cctv down sainsbury's, and southbound to death junction. be a shame if one of you used a card. be a big shame, because then I would track you and you would all be accessories to racially aggravated verbal abuse"
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
Now the girls in the group are begging their friend to apologize rather than drag them all into legal trouble.
the girls are BEGGING him to apologise to me. I said "even if you do apologise, you've gone to sainsbury's on Woodville road, I can track you now, it's a done deal"
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
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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:
do you notice that it's only when they're under the assumption that they may be held accountable do they want their friend to apologise?
the guy who racially abused me threatens to stab me
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
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.
someone was stabbed and died in cathays last month. someone was stabbed and died on saint Mary's street last week. we're seeing a stabbing epidemic. I shat myself. but I know racists smell fear
So I said "ok, it's one of the busiest roads in Cardiff, there's an alley, let's go"
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
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.
his face dropped. his mates face dropped. he started to scream at me. I pointed out none of this wouldnt happen if he wasnt a fucking racist and this random white jogger came and told me to "allow it"
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
Yasmin had to explain to the guy how racism is not acceptable.
I told him I won't allow being casually racially abused in my hometown, they've just threatened to stab me, if I don't let them know this is fucked, what if they go after someone who is v v v vulnerable?
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
At this point, the police get involved.
and then he says 'go to the police' and I'm like 'police cuts of 2010 m8, no front facing desk" and in a moment of serendipity a cop van goes by.
the white guy flags it down and said 'I saw those kids call this woman a paki and threaten to stab to her'
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
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.
AND THEN THE COPS PUT ON THEIR SIREN🚨🚨🚨AND THESE WHITE KIDS STARTED TO LEG IT TO DEATH JUNCTION BUT I WAS TOO ANXIOUS TO LAUGH
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
Yasmin explains how her last racist encounter in Britain was even worse, given she was accompanied by her four-year-old niece.
so the last time I reported Igetting racially absued in the street [I was with my cousin who was 4 and v v v stressed and asked me what a paki was, she isn't asian] the person's mum tried to fight me on a cardiff bus with my mate on a Friday night
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
With all this rampant racist encounters in Britain, why doesn’t she report it every time? Most cops are racist too that’s why.
this is probably the 6th or 7th time I've been racially abused over the past 2 years specifically with the term Paki used towards me. it's less than what I got growing up. here's why I don't report hate crime
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
🔺I don't have hours to waste on documentation and administration re: making statements
🔺in the past I've had to explain to police officers why racism is racism
🔺I don't want to lose a day's pay going to court to defend my humanity— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
Last time Yasmin reported a case, things didn’t end well.
🔺the last time I was racially abused and went to the police I was intimidated as a witness in public and nothing happened to the person who did it
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
🔺the last time I reported racial abuse and gave my statement, the cop complimented me on my English and said she didn't identify a need for documentation in a community language.
🔺I told her I was third gen Pak and born and raised in Cardiff, and asked her how her Welsh was
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
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.
🔺yeah, this is why people don't report hate crime, these are just a few of the diff reasons.
— Yasmin Supera (@punkistani93) July 24, 2019
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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