- Lila Tamea, 27 said she was left feeling intimidated after a group of thugs began making Islamophobic comments and threatened to kill her on her way home.
- British Transport Police are treating the matter as a hate crime and have launched an appeal for witnesses.
A Muslim woman who was threatened on the train by a vile man whilst commuting home, was told that she might be killed “while you’re walking home.” She described shared the incident as leaving her feeling “really uncomfortable and intimidated.”
Lila Tamea, 27, was travelling from Liverpool to her home in Warrington when the event occurred. British Transport Police are treating the matter as a hate crime and have launched an appeal for witnesses.
Tamea recounted that a group of four men began conversing with her, initially appearing friendly. However, after she mentioned pursuing a PhD and researching racism in education, the conversation shifted to a series of racist comments.
“That’s when one of the guys ‘eye-rolled’ and they began making a series of comments, including ‘kill all Muslims'” she explained.
Tamea said: “Given the events that took place tour weeks ago, I was really uncomfortable and intimidated.”
She began recording audio and video clips of her interaction with the group, including one where a man in a blue and white checked shirt told her he might kill her “when you’re walking home,” followed by a chuckle.
In another recording, the man’s voice can be heard discussing immigration, saying: “We have to kill all the f***ing Muslims, get rid of them before they come over here.”
In a separate clip, he says: “I’m gonna get my Uzi machine gun and kill as many Muslims as I can. I won’t do you though, you’re a nice girl.”
Another recording captured him repeatedly using the N-word while discussing Notting Hill Carnival.
Tamea reflected on her experience, noting that she stayed polite due to adrenaline. “It’s a survival thing, where we have to extra amenable, extra nice, extra friendly, extra welcoming,” she said, adding that with four men involved, including one sitting right next to her, she was “wedged in.”
She identified the man in the blue and white checked shirt as the main instigator and explained that at first, she thought he was joking when he described himself as racist, but then the derogatory remarks began.
Tamea added, “If they’d met Muslims, they’d realize that 99.9% of us are reasonable, nice people. Yet in their head, they think it’s the other way around, that the majority are not nice.”
When a ticket inspector arrived, Tamea informed him about the men’s racist behavior, and they were eventually asked to leave the train.
British Transport Police issued a statement: “We are aware of a video on social media which shows an incident of hate crime on a train at Liverpool South Parkway on Saturday, 7 September. We take all reports very seriously and are investigating this incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact us via text on 61016 reference 787 of 7 September or call 0800 405040. Or contact Crimestoppers UK anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
