Muslim woman branded a 'monster' for walking past Westminster attack victim speaks out

The Muslim woman criticised for ‘casually’ walking past a victim of the Westminster terror attack has spoken out.

Twitter users branded the woman a ‘monster’ after she was pictured seemingly walking past a female victim lying on the ground during the terror attack on Wednesday.

But the woman, who has not been named, has defended herself and said she had actually been helping the victims and was ‘devastated’ after witnessing the attack.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, which supports victims of anti-Muslim hate, she said: ‘I’m shocked and totally dismayed at how a picture of me is being circulated on social media.

‘To those individuals who have interpreted and commented on what my thoughts were in that horrific and distressful moment, I would like to say not only have I been devastated by witnessing the aftermath of a shocking and numbing terror attack..’

‘I’ve also had to deal with the shock of finding my picture plastered all over social media by those who could not look beyond my attire, who draw conclusions based on hate and xenophobia.’

Her statement comes after photographer Jamie Lorriman defended the woman, saying she was actually ‘distressed and horrified’ at the time.

He told ABC: ‘No one was sort of screaming or shouting. The people who took on that picture are being rather selective.

‘In the other picture in the sequence she looks truly distraught – personally I think she looks distressed in both pictures.

‘To assume she was ignoring someone is impossible to know, the look on the woman’s face, she’s horrified, she’s in the middle of a traumatic situation.’

The image of the woman started going viral when ‘proud American’ Texas Lone Star shared it on Twitter saying: ‘Muslim woman pays no mind to the terror attack, casually walks by a dying man while checking phone.’

He added: ‘#BanIslam’

Some people responded in agreement with the tweet but fortunately, the majority hit back.

Many people pointed out that emergency services might have told people not to stop or that she might have been telling family or friends she was safe.

One person said that an image showing a man walking past a victim using his phone didn’t attract the same amount of criticism, even though he ‘did the same thing’.

Four people were killed and dozens injured after 52-year-old Khalid Masood mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before storming Parliament and stabbing a police officer to death.