A woman threatened on a London bus for wearing niqab says it happens daily

Salsabil, 21, was travelling home on a bus in west London on 31 July 2026 when a passenger verbally abused her over her niqab. She got off and boarded a second bus — the same man followed and abused her again, this time on camera.

"He was swearing at me for the way I'm dressed," she told the BBC. He told her she was "not welcome with this veil on," called it "terrorism, not religion," and said if she would not remove it herself, he would remove it for her. He then threatened to kill her. Another passenger intervened and was drawn into a physical fight with the man; the bus driver had him removed at the next stop.

"This happens to me every single day"

Salsabil said the bus incident was not an isolated event. "Spitting, barging, pushing. It happens to me every single day," she said, describing a pattern of harassment she has largely stopped reporting: "We kind of convince ourselves that this is something we have to tolerate rather than report."

She had reported an earlier Islamophobic incident to the Metropolitan Police and found officers "quite dismissive" — an experience she said discourages other women from reporting at all. "I'm so grateful for the passenger who did step in and defend me," she added, but said that support was the exception rather than the rule.

The wider pattern

Metropolitan Police data cited in the same report showed reported faith hate crime in London rose 25% over the past year, with reported Islamophobic offences specifically up 31%. London's victims commissioner, Andrea Simon, said she did not believe Salsabil's experience was a "one-off," and that women "visibly identifiable by clothing as being Muslim" face particular risk.

Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police both said they took the incident seriously and were investigating; the Met said no community in London should have to endure intimidation or abuse.

This page uses only the first name Salsabil chose to give the BBC, and adds no identifying detail beyond what she has already made public.

Source. BBC News