A Muslim woman was ejected from Donald Trumps campaign rally in South Carolina on 8 January, while people booed her and one man screamed: You have a bomb, you have a bomb. Rose Hamid was removed after standing in silent protest at the 69-year-olds controversial opinion on immigration.
Wearing a hijab and a shirt that read Salam, I come in peace, the 56-year-old stood directly behind the US presidential candidate when he started to talk about Syrian refugees being banned from entering North America and claimed they had ties with Islamic State (Isis). People around her began loudly chanting Trump, Trump.
After the woman who works as a flight attendant was taken out of the Rock Hill event, Trump said: There is hatred against us that is unbelievable. Its their hatred, its not our hatred.
Hamid said she wanted to give people the opportunity to meet and talk to a Muslim. The people around me who I had an opportunity to talk with were very sweet, she told CNN, even though one person told her that she didnt look scary but like a good one.
But when Hamid stood in silent protest, the crowd turned against her. The ugliness really came out fast and thats really scary, she said.
Major Steven Thompson of the Rock Hill Police Department said Hamid was removed on orders that the police would eject anybody who made any kind of disturbance and would escort them from the premises.
Unperturbed by the abuse she received at the Republican rally, Hamid blamed Trump for creating the atmosphere. This demonstrates how when you start dehumanising the other it can turn people into very hateful, ugly people, she said. It needs to be known.
Hamid is the co-founder and president of Muslim Women of the Carolinas and writes a column for the Charlotte Observer about her faith.
