Name of Person Reporting Incident:
Haleema Bharoocha
Location of Incident:
Beach in Pacifica
Time/ Date of Incident:
Afternoon, August 2015
Circumstances of Incident:
- Discrimination based on: gender, religious belief
- Event by type: harassment in a public place
Description of the Incident:
My group of female identifying Muslim friends were hanging out at the beach. The whole beach was empty. We were having a good time, reading and listening to music. A group of white people came and sat near us. They watched us for a while before commenting “where’s your AK-47?” “are Muslim women even allowed to read?” “don’t blow us up?” and so on. Of all places they could have sat, they chose to sit next to us. I was so angry and all I wanted to do was confront them, but they outnumbered us 6 to 4. Most of their group consisted of male presenting people so it added an extra layer of danger. To add to it, there was no cell service at the beach, so we kept our mouth shut and left. Our perfect beach day turned into an Islamophobic nightmare. These instances of verbal harassment and threat of physical violence have been a constant in my life. My hijab makes me a walking target and this threat looms over me everywhere I go. I just want safety and joy for me and my community.
What have you thought about since the incident took place?
I thought about how angry I was and how helpless I felt. Despite being a badass empowered woman, there was little I could do in that moment. I had to concede and leave the space for my safety. This is a compromise I have made before and it is humiliating. I want my joy back, I want to be restored.
How were you affected by what happened?
This event is one of many that occasionally remind me that I live in an age of unprecedented Islamophobia and gender based violence. I do not feel safe because of these events and it is hard for me to engage with people who I do not know.
Who else was affected by what happened and how?
My friends who were with me that day were impacted by this. They too felt angry and even shaken by this. My parents were also impacted and felt fear for me. They were less inclined to allow me to go outside after this took place. As a whole community, the impact was felt because we hold a collective trauma when someone in our community is attacked. Hurt one of us, face us all.
What do you think needs to happen to make things as right as possible?
The perpetrators of this harassment must apologize, educate themselves on Islamophobia, and reflect on WHY they treated me and my friends the way that they did. Once they do the personal work, they must do the interpersonal work in their community to dismantle, fear, hatred, and stereotypes that can lead to violence and dehumanization. And lastly, they must use their White privilege to advocate for institutional changes like #RepealTheBanAct.
What do you need for your healing?
I need spaces to reflect on the deep impact of harassment and violence. By unpacking this, I can start to heal. I also need spaces where I can find and celebrate joy, learn about the beautiful herstory of my ancestory, and be in spaces with women of color.
