‘You’re like cockroaches’: Muslim women capture Islamophobic attack on camera

Police are searching for a man caught on camera harassing two young Muslim women with racial abuse in Devon, England over the weekend.

“Do you know the biggest problem with this country at the moment? Muslims absolutely raiding this country,” the unidentified man says to the women. “You’re like cockroaches.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Do you know the biggest problem with this country at the moment? Muslims absolutely raiding this country," the unidentified man says to the women. "You're like cockroaches."

A Facebook user named Kalsoom Naqvi posted the video online, saying she and her friend were walking down the street when they overheard a man make a comment about how the two women were about to trigger a bomb.

READ MORE: Hate crimes against Muslim-Canadians more than doubled in 3 years

Naqvi wrote that she felt compelled to record their exchange when she decided to report the incident to police.

In the video, the man goes on to say that women in England shouldn’t have to wear hijabs and repeatedly questions the nationality of the women, both of whom say they were born and raised in London.

“Why won’t you take that off in England?” the man asks, gesturing towards the women’s faces.

“Because I like to follow my faith,” Naqvi responds.

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Naqvi wrote that she was shaken by the incident.

“I cannot stress how frightening and lonely it was to be surrounded by bystanders who did nothing but watch. Almost more frightening than the man himself,” she wrote.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I cannot stress how frightening and lonely it was to be surrounded by bystanders who did nothing but watch. Almost more frightening than the man himself," she wrote.

Devon and Cornwall Police said in a press release that they are appealing for witnesses.

“This was an extremely upsetting incident for the women who were subjected to distressing racial abuse while simply going about their daily life. Police will not tolerate such appalling incidents of hate crime in Devon and Cornwall and we are appealing to anyone who can help us locate this man,” said Sgt. Colin Harper.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This was an extremely upsetting incident for the women who were subjected to distressing racial abuse while simply going about their daily life. Police will not tolerate such appalling incidents of hate crime in Devon and Cornwall and we are appealing to anyone who can help us locate this man," said Sgt. Colin Harper.

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Police spokesperson Steve Grant told Global News that racially charged abuse is not common in the area.

“It’s an incredibly tolerant area, and it’s very safe and welcoming. But there are rare occasions where people act insensitively and cause alarm such as this.”

In Canada, the number of hate crimes targeting Muslim-Canadians reported to the police doubled over a three year period from 45 in 2012 to 99 in 2014.

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