London: Young Londoner Ashley Powys has become the face of religious and cultural tolerance in the United Kingdom after he posted an account on Facebook describing how he stepped in to help a teenager in a hijab from an abusive passenger on the London Underground this week.
Powys, who is originally from North Wales, gained hero status and worldwide media attention after his post was liked and shared tens of thousands of times following Monday’s incident, in which he protected the Mulsim woman identified only as Yara. But the 22-year-old Apple employee has told Gulf News it is her story rather than his that has inspired people.
Now he hopes that the incident and the reaction to it will help others stand up for those being persecuted after nobody in the busy Tube carriage joined him in confronting the foul-mouthed abuser. And Powys also hopes to be reunited with Yara so she can hear of all the support she has received.
“I’m receiving all these messages but I’ve only done what millions of other people would do, while she’s the one that’s had to experience this. It’s her story not mine that’s touched people,” Powys said in a telephone interview.
“Some people have said I’ve inspired them, but a lot of Muslims have said that her, despite the adversity, going out wearing a hijab has inspired them to do it as well. I want her to get some of that respect off people so I’m gutted I haven’t got her details.
“People are throwing around this term ‘hero’ and I’m not. I’m not the kind of person that would lap it up and be like ‘yes I am’. I’m not [a hero], I’m just nice. I don’t want to be thanked all the time, it’s better if people read this and realise that nobody’s got no voice.”
Powys was shocked at the abuse Yara received on public transport, but he fears this is far from an isolated case, so he hopes his message of tolerance and acceptance of other cultures will be heeded by people everywhere.
“I went to a very international school so I’ve always grown up and been around people of all different backgrounds and cultures. Obviously you get to know the cultures, but you get to know the people behind them as well and to have people like that targeted purely for something they wear has never sat well with me — I’ve never been able to understand it,” he said.
“I’ve got no doubt at all that it happens often. Even when I spoke to the [British] Transport Police, the way they asked their questions you can tell in their voice they are sick of asking them, sick of asking what was said and hearing those terms. They must hear them day in, day out unfortunately.
“I hope people will be inspired to stand up. I’ve always had quite strong views about this but I’ve never had the platform to tell other people that this is how we should be. Even if it’s just my 10 minutes [of fame] to say it, at least I get to say it and that’s what I want people to take away from it. Not ‘isn’t that nice Welsh boy a hero’, it’s that we all have that voice we can use. Nobody’s a hero by doing it, you’re just protecting your community.”
Powys summed up by adding: “We can stand side by side. You can be atheist or have no faith but live with people who do — it’s entirely possible. It’s not a stretch of the imagination.”
