Mehpara Khan said she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received after she filmed a woman go off on a racist tirade against her and her friends.
Khan, a 28-year-old communications professional from Auckland, New Zealand, was on a road trip with her friends when they stopped at a rest stop in Huntly on Saturday.
The woman in the video, later identified by police as 27-year-old Megan Walton, tells the group of five Muslim women to “hurry up and get the f*** off.”
Walton is also captured on camera throwing beer cans and punches at the women.
“You don’t have the right to be here. I was f***ing born here, I own this f***ing land. Now get the f*** off you ugly f***ing Muslim b****,” Walton says.
When Khan shared the video on social media, she said she was “shaking” but now she said she and her friends have forgiven Walton.
“The five of us have forgiven her and really just want to see her get whatever support she needs,” Khan told Global News. “I’m open to having a chat with her if that’s something she wants. I’m really just looking for constructive ways forward from here for all of us, including her.”
Khan admitted it wasn’t the first time she’s encountered racism and Islamophobia.
“But all the support I’ve received reinforces that this is just a minority of people who engage in this type of hate. The majority of people, particularly New Zealanders, will stand with you and that’s so powerful,” she said.
Khan said the video of the incident sparked a national conversation, including comments by Prime Minister Bill English, who described the attack as “awful” at a public event.
Police said they used the footage to identify Walton, who was arrested Sunday and later pleaded guilty to charges of assault and abuse in court Monday. She was remanded on bail.
Local media reported that the prosecutor said Walton was too intoxicated at the time of the incident to recall what had happened. After her court appearance, the accused said she was sorry.
Khan said she hopes her message of peace resonates with those who hear her story.
“I think it’s easy to get angry or upset, but forgiveness and peace is at the core of Islam,” she said. “I think it’s also important to have the conversation at home with your kids about why this is wrong and what they should do if they see something like this at school.”
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