US Muslim responds to hate attack in supermarket: 'We are Americans just like you and our faith doesn't define us'

Yasmin Saunders was shopping with her family when confronted by an unidentified man

Rose Troup Buchanan
Wednesday 23 December 2015 08:44 GMT
Comments
Mrs Saunders and her husband
Mrs Saunders and her husband

An American Muslim responded to a hate attack in a New Orleans supermarket by reminding her attacker of the values that united them, not divided them.

Yasmin Saunders was shopping with her family when an unidentified man tossed a packet of bacon into their trolley, and laughingly told them: “merry Christmas buddy.”

Observant Muslims cannot eat any kind of pork product.

Mrs Saunders described seeing the “pain” in the eyes of her 55-year-old father as he was helpless to stop the abuse in front of her mother, who was wearing a headscarf, and two-year-old brother.

Responding to the man, Mrs Saunders – who is married to a US serviceman – wrote in a Facebook post after the event: “We are Americans just like you. We cry with you and we bow our heads and pray when we have fallen service members.

“We place our hand over our heart when we hear the pledge of allegiance just like you. We are not different and our faith and the color of our skin doesn't define us. We are afraid too, but We shouldn't be afraid because of my religion.

My name is Yasmin, my husband got stationed here at Eglin Air Force base 3 years ago. I am a Muslim woman and I'm...

Posted by Yasmin Saunders on Friday, December 18, 2015

“We are fighting the same enemy. We are not the enemy. We are ordinary people just trying to get by. I am afraid and tormented for the world that our children have to grow up in.”

Her post has been shared almost 4,000 times, with nearly 7,000 people liking the message and sending notes of support.

15-year-old Muslim schoolgirl has message for people who blamed her little sister for the Paris attacks

Mrs Saunders explained she had put the incident online because she wanted to show her family not everyone was like “that one guy.”

“I got messages from all over the country,” Mrs Saunders said, adding she had expected “a lot more” negative comments.

“They were so upset by what happened, they didn't want to go out in public anymore,” she told the Northwest Florida Journal. “Seeing all of the positive and supportive comments really left them surprised and humbled.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in