VANCOUVER – Canadian Muslims have launched a new online hashtag to give thanks to the Vancouverite who came to the rescue of the young Muslim teen assaulted on a train last week.
“When 18-year old Noor Fadel was assaulted on a Vancouver subway by a man who said he wanted to “kill all Muslims,” everyone on board just sat and watched. Except for one guy. His name is Jake Taylor. #ThankYouJake,” media correspondent Muhammad Lila wrote on Twitter as he launched the new hashtag, Huffington Post reported.
When Fadel, 18, boarded the train at Waterfront Station on Monday, December 6th, a man began to verbally assault her, yelling and screaming a litany of profanities. He allegedly said he would “kill all Muslims.”
The man even hit Fadel, attempted to remove her hijab, and tried to sexually assault her.
No one intervened except Jake Taylor who stepped in and asked the man to leave the train.
“Before I could even get there, he smacked her right in the head, right across the face or whatever,” Taylor told CTV News.
“I went over and gave him a shove and told him to ‘get … out of here.'”
The attacker, later identified as 46-year-old Pierre Belzan, got off at the next stop. He was charged with assault, and police have recommended a charge of sexual assault as well, CBC reported.
On social media, the response to Lila’s hashtag to thank Jake was overwhelming.
#ThankYouJake for your initiative towards a better world where everyone peacefully coexists. https://t.co/I30duQOnck
— Mahmudur R Saniat (@mrsaniat) December 12, 2017
Humanity, courage and decency are what motivated Jake to act. He is a true Canadian standing up for what’s right #ThankYouJake
— Mahmoud Abed (@VortoVision) December 12, 2017
I always tell my students that as bystanders, they are at the crossroads of either doing the right thing or letting hate triumph #ThankYouJake ?? https://t.co/LKWHgCu2QV
— Zohrin Mawji (@ZohrinM) December 8, 2017
Lila said he started the hashtag #ThankYouJake to not only “show him some love,” but to prove that “not all heroes have superpowers or wear capes.”
He also launched a GoFundMe page to crowdfund a trip to Vancouver so that he can give Taylor “the best surprise he’s ever had.”
“No good deed should go unrewarded,” Lila wrote on the crowdfunding site.
“I’m going to capture the [surprise] on video, showing him that thousands of people around the country — and the world — are grateful and are saying thanks.”
In the first day, the campaign raised over $1,000 of its $5,000 goal. Taylor found out about the campaign and recently shared his surprise and gratitude on the GoFundMe page.
“Thank you so very much for thinking I deserve this,” the 21-year-old wrote.
“But I think it should just be expected as the decency of a human being. Do the right thing.”