Video: ‘I wish they didn’t let you in the country’, says blonde woman to Muslim shopper

WASHINGTON: After witnessing a slew of racial attacks, the people of the United States of America were again shocked when an American woman was heard saying “I wish they didn’t let you in the country” to a Muslim woman who was shopping in a neighbouring store. As per media reports, a Muslim woman alleged harassment by another blonde who said Barack Obama was no longer in the Oval Office and she was not welcome in nation anymore. Many experts opine that America has seen a spike in racial attacks against immigrants and Muslims, following the right-wing populist movement which led to the rise of Donald Trump.

The incident occurred after the Muslim woman allowed her fellow shopper to cut ahead of her when they were both in line for the cash register at the store in Virginia.

In a video gone viral on Facebook, an unidentified woman appears to tell a Muslim shopper who allegedly let her go ahead in line, “I wish they didn’t let you in the country,” local WJLA TV, an affiliate of ABC News reported.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPGGNFq9cJ0

Comedian Jeremy McLellan posted the video on Facebook on Saturday. The Muslim woman involved in the incident is his friend. In his post, he wrote ,”A friend of mine (who wishes to remain anonymous) just sent this to me. I’ve confirmed that it’s real. This happened today at the Trader Joe’s in Reston, VA. This woman was in a hurry so my friend (who is a Muslim woman) offered to let her go in front of her in line. That’s when she started talking bad about a different Muslim woman in the store (who was wearing niqab) and asking my friend why she didn’t cover as well. My friend replied it was a choice and the woman didn’t believe her and started talking about FGM and telling her “I wish they didn’t let you in the country.” That’s when my friend started filming.”

As the video begins, the confrontation is already underway. A blonde woman accused the Muslim woman of “playing dumb” and said, “I’ve got it.”

“I shouldn’t have let you in front of me,” said the Muslim woman.

“I wish they didn’t let you in the country,” snapped the harasser.

“Excuse me? I was born here,” replied the Muslim woman.

“Oh, you were?” the blonde woman said. “Obama’s not in office anymore. We don’t have a Muslim in there anymore”.

“Yeah, I wish he was,” the Muslim woman was quoted as saying by the report.

“He’s gone. He’s gone,” the woman says, smiling. “He may be in jail, too, in the future,” she adds as she glances down in the direction of the camera briefly.

“You look a little crazy,” the woman filming said. “Maybe you need to get some help.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” the other woman replied as the woman filming explained that it’s not normal to strike up hateful conversations with strangers in line at the grocery store.

There has been increase in instances of Trump-supporters caught on video being aggressively rude and confrontational with a Muslim person or a person of colour.

(With inputs from PTI)