A man who harassed a Muslim woman for not adhering to Islamic dress codes at a London health centre and threatened a co-worker he believed was Christian has received a weak non-custodial sentence.
Mohammed Amin, 37, passed a woman working at St Andrew’s Health Centre in London a handwritten note which “stated that the [she] should be aware that she was not following the Islamic dress code”, according to an official Metropolitan Police statement.
Amin threatened the woman after she confronted him, and verbally abused a doctor who attempted to intervene “on the basis of his perceived membership of the Christian faith”.
Amin also “threatened the [doctor] with violence if he reported the matter to police”.
He was ultimately convicted of two counts of racially/religiously aggravated Section 4 Public Order Act offences against NHS staff at Snaresbrook Crown Court, but a judge only saw fit to hand him a community sentence, ten-day rehabilitation requirement, and an £85 charge for costs.
“We believe Amin regularly approached Muslim women, or women he perceived to be Muslim, in Tower Hamlets and confronted them about their appearance,” commented Detective Constable Ami Henderson, urging other potential victims to come forward.
“I commend the two victims at the health centre for coming forward and giving evidence at court. Anyone else who has been confronted in this way is asked to call police on 101,” she added.
Similar events have taken place across Europe in recent years, and appear to have intensified following the influx of migrants from Muslim-majority countries when the migrant crisis took hold of the continent in late 2015.
In Germany, for example, Chechen-origin “morality police” have harassed and even assaulted women from their own community as well as some native Germans who have fraternised with them, for failing to keep to the cultural norms which hold sway in their homeland.
“Here, in Europe, certain Chechen women and men who look like women do unspeakable things. You know it; I know it; everybody knows it,” began one chilling message recorded by a man armed with a handgun and circulated through the Chechen community via the WhatsApp messaging service.
“[Chechen women] who flirt with men of other ethnic groups and marry them, Chechen women who have chosen the wrong path and those [creatures] who call themselves Chechen men – given half a chance, we will set all of them straight.
“Having sworn on the Quran, we go out onto the streets. This is our declaration of intent; do not say that you were not warned; do not say that you did not know.”