SURVIVOR STORIES: Asma
Asma survived an Islamophobic attack which left her with facial scarring.
Asma describes a violent Islamophobic attack from a woman who threw a glass in her face which left her with scarring. She describes the physical and emotional toll this took upon her – particularly the sense of being dehumanised – but also her determination to forgive her attacker. In court, she read a prepared statement to her attacker, saying that Islam had taught her to forgive. Stressing the power of shared empathy, Asma describes forgiveness as a core part of her humanity – rather than letting hate eat you up. She describes how she rebuilt her self-esteem after the attack, and stresses the need for people living in diverse societies need to coexist within a context of mutual respect.