Summary The man is seen searched by police officers before being cuffed on suspicion due to layered clothing
(Web Desk) - A video showing a bearded Muslim being handcuffed by police after a woman expresses concern over him "wearing too many clothes" has stirred a debate on the internet over rising Islamophobia in the West.
The video, which has appeared on Facebook and YouTube among other sites, shows a Muslim man being surrounded by three officers who are searching him and looking at him with an air of suspicion. Later on in the video, the man is handcuffed and has his pockets looked into by the officers though he is eventually let go. A blonde woman can also be shown at the start of the video, who reportedly stirred the whole incident when she called the cops on suspicion of the man’s appearance, and for wearing too many clothes.
The video sparked a debate online.Video courtesy: Al Jazeera
According to Arab News, the victim in the video later released a statement through Documenting Oppression Against Muslims (DOAM) in which he said that he was simply hastening to the London Central Mosque in Regent’s Park for Friday prayers when he was suddenly apprehended by police who put handcuffs on him despite him having done no visible crime. The man also claimed that the women who stopped him was an undercover police officer who accused him of wearing too many clothes despite him having on only two layers of clothing.
The video has sparked an intense outrage and debate online with the Morocco World News reporting that the video had gotten 3.6 million views and more than seven thousand comments. The comments have been deeply divided with many users stating that this was nothing more than another racial profiling incident. On the other hand others have taken the side of the police and said that search was reasonable considering the terrorist threats and the attire of the man.
Islamophobia is on the rise in the UK with hate crimes against Muslims increasing at a staggeringly fast rate. Recent incidents like the east London acid attacks and the Finsbury mosque attack have alarmed the Muslim community across the country.
