London: ‘Muslim Patrol’ homophobia YouTube victim urged to contact police
A man subjected to homophobic abuse in east London by a group of men who said it was a “Muslim area” is being urged to contact the Metropolitan Police.
Video of the incident was recorded and published on YouTube with the group calling itself a “Muslim Patrol”.
Officers said they were unsure where and when the video took place.
One member of the group is heard to shout: “Hello mate, don’t you know this is a Muslim area?…Why you dressed like that for? [sic]” while another member of the group shouts: “Homosexual! Homosexual!”
When the victim asks: “Why are you bothering me?” A member of the group responds: “Because you’re walking through a Muslim area dressed like a fag mate. You need to get out of here.”
The man is then described as “dirty” a “fag” and a “mug”.
On Thursday, Detective Chief Inspector Wendy Morgan from Tower Hamlets borough said: “The Met takes such homophobic behaviour very seriously. This man is a crucial witness in the investigation and we would encourage him and anyone else with information to make contact in confidence as soon as possible.”
Gay rights group Stonewall said: “This incident is yet another reminder of the homophobic abuse that gay people face all too often.”
Last week, the East London Mosque condemned men shown in another video posted on the internet claiming to be “patrolling” Whitechapel.
