A video of a female shopper launching an Islamophobic rant at two women wearing niqabs at a Tasha’s restaurant, has gone viral. The incident took place at the Brooklyn, Pretoria branch over the weekend.
TASHA’S VIRAL VIDEO: CUSTOMER LAUNCHES ISLAMOPHOBIC RANT
In a TikTok video posted by @kissmyabby_, a white female is seen approaching two women wearing niqabs – a long Islamic cloak that covers the face and body. The Muslim women were patrons at Tasha’s Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria.
The woman, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, tells the Muslim women, “This is a western country. You need to respect the customs of the country that has given you a home. You need to respect the customs.”
She added, “This is a very bad example for little girls to see.”
The woman in the video has not been identified.
@kissmyabby_
The female TikToker who recorded the incident commented that she was “shocked” at what she had witnessed. In a follow-up video, the woman claimed that she did not speak out out of fear of retaliation.
Tasha’s has condemned the racist incident in a statement. It stated that the popular chain of restaurants would “not tolerate discrimination in any form”.
RIGHT TO PRACTISE RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL BELIEFS
While the woman in the Tasha’s video has described South Africa as being a “western country”, it is not defined as such.
South Africa is influenced by a diverse range of ethnicities, including those from the East and West.
It is bound by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which protect fundamental human rights, including equality, human dignity, life, and freedom of expression.
The Constitution specifically protects the freedom of religion, belief, and opinion.
Although the majority of South Africans are Christian, South Africa is not a “Christian country” and does not have a “state religion”.
The preamble of the Constitution clearly states that “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity”.
Section nine of the Constitution states that discrimination based on religion or culture is strictly prohibited and is a criminal offence.
