Jewish dad reunited with Muslim woman who stood up for him during Tube abuse
A Jewish man who suffered anti-Semitic abuse while travelling on the London Underground has been reunited with the brave Muslim woman who stepped in to defend him and his family.
The man, who does not wish to be named, earlier said he was ‘extremely grateful’ for Asma Shuweikh’s intervention during the incident on the Northern Line last Friday morning.
Without it, he added, the abuse ‘could have escalated to physical violence’.
He finally got to express his thanks in person on Monday as he and Ms Shuweikh, 36, from Birmingham, sat down for a chat in Manchester.
Ms Shuweikh told the Jewish News: ‘He came and gave me beautiful flowers and we sat down and had a coffee and we were talking about our experiences and our backgrounds.
‘It was very nice. It was lovely. We’re going to keep in touch.’
Ms Shuweikh was hailed a hero online after bravely confronting the man as he read out anti-Jewish Bible verses to the man and his two sons.
The man can be seen threatening another passenger who tried to step in before Ms Shuweikh got involved.
She said afterwards that she ‘wouldn’t hesitate to do it again’.
‘As a mother-of-two it’s appalling,’ she told BBC Radio 5 Live.
‘I can’t sit back and watch that happen, to be honest.’
She said she felt the incident was ‘getting out of hand’ and previously described how she tried ‘to bring him down to a level where you can have a conversation so he doesn’t go back to the Jewish family’.
The victim said in a statement afterwards: ‘This Tube journey has left me with mixed feelings about society.
‘On the one hand my wife, my children and I were subject to vile abuse in a full Tube carriage, however I am grateful for those who stood up for me.’
A man, who has not been named by police, was arrested in Birmingham on Saturday night on suspicion of committing a racially aggravated public order offence.
Without it, he added, the abuse ‘could have escalated to physical violence’.
He finally got to express his thanks in person on Monday as he and Ms Shuweikh, 36, from Birmingham, sat down for a chat in Manchester.
Ms Shuweikh told the Jewish News: ‘He came and gave me beautiful flowers and we sat down and had a coffee and we were talking about our experiences and our backgrounds.
‘It was very nice. It was lovely. We’re going to keep in touch.’
Ms Shuweikh was hailed a hero online after bravely confronting the man as he read out anti-Jewish Bible verses to the man and his two sons.
The man can be seen threatening another passenger who tried to step in before Ms Shuweikh got involved.
She said afterwards that she ‘wouldn’t hesitate to do it again’.
‘As a mother-of-two it’s appalling,’ she told BBC Radio 5 Live.
‘I can’t sit back and watch that happen, to be honest.’
She said she felt the incident was ‘getting out of hand’ and previously described how she tried ‘to bring him down to a level where you can have a conversation so he doesn’t go back to the Jewish family’.
The victim said in a statement afterwards: ‘This Tube journey has left me with mixed feelings about society.
‘On the one hand my wife, my children and I were subject to vile abuse in a full Tube carriage, however I am grateful for those who stood up for me.’
A man, who has not been named by police, was arrested in Birmingham on Saturday night on suspicion of committing a racially aggravated public order offence.