Police in Stockholm are investigating an incident that reportedly saw Nikeisha Andersson, a Swedish film director who happens to be a lesbian, abused verbally and assaulted by a Muslim taxi driver who had been driving her home.
The alleged assault took place in central Stockholm on the night of Wednesday, August 2nd, while Andersson, aged 30, had been on the way back to her home, where her girlfriend had been waiting for her. As she was en route, Andersson, through a telephone conversation she had been having with her girlfriend, had revealed herself to be a lesbian, which prompted the attack, Expressen reports.
“We were talking about Pride and gay things and before I know it, this driver stops on the central bridge, turns around, and says: ‘You are haram, you have to get out of my car.’ Then he gets out of the car, opens my door, and drags me out of the car, yelling that I should wash my mouth, that I’m immoral and disgusting. It was very uncomfortable. I am in shock,” the director told the Swedish daily.
“Haram” is a word used in Islamic jurisprudence to describe what is forbidden for a Muslim. In contrast, “halal” is used to describe what is permissible.
Only after the initial shock subsided did Andersson realize both the seriousness of the situation and that something far worse could have happened.
Continuing, she told the newspaper:
When he said: “You are haram,” I was so shocked. It came out of nowhere, we had barely said hi when I got into the car. When I realized he was serious… everything happened so fast, he tore me out of the car. But I got scared, he looked around, he knew what he was doing and didn’t want anyone to see. He started walking towards me and gave me a push. I kind of thought that now I’m going to be raped or beaten to pieces.
She explained that the driver stopped what he was doing and returned to the car only when she threatened to call the police.
“I was all by myself and I was just lucky that I had someone on the phone who will be my main witness,” she said.
Following the incident, and after reporting the attack to the authorities, Andersson sought to inform the public of what she had gone through in a post to social media. In the Instagram post, she told her followers:
Yesterday at midnight I was talking on the phone about LGBTQ things and told the person I was talking to on the phone that I loved girls. Before I knew it, the Bolt driver stops the car and turns around and he says I’m HARAM, and people like me should die, he then gets out of the car and pulls me out, pushes me, and tells me to wash my mouth, that I am immoral, disgusting and more…”
The taxi company Bolt has been in touch with the Swedish media and says they are aware that the attack took place and have taken punitive measures against the perpetrator, who has been banned from using the application.
In a statement addressing the incident, Bolt’s Sweden manager for taxi operations, Lina Dahlander, said: “Bolt is strongly opposed to all forms of discrimination, against LGBTQ+ people included, and we are sorry and apologize for what happened.”
Dahlander added: “As soon as a serious incident comes to our attention, we prioritize blocking the perpetrator’s access to the platform so that a further investigation can take place, so also in this case. We urge the victim to report the crime to the police so we can cooperate with the police by sharing information that can assist the investigation.”
Police in Stockholm have confirmed an investigation into the incident—a suspected case of harassment has been launched.
