Viewers said they were 'ashamed' after watching Katie Freeman receive horrific abuse in the street as she spent a week living as a Muslim
FURIOUS viewers have slammed the vile Islamophobic abuse hurled at a woman posing as a Muslim for a controversial TV documentary.
TV fans said they were "ashamed" after watching Katie Freeman receive horrific abuse in the street as she spent a week living as a Muslim.
Katie, 44, wore a fake nose, teeth and sported darker skin to go undercover in the heart of Manchester's Pakistani community for Channel 4 documentary My Week as a Muslim.
She agreed to take on the task in a bid to challenge her prejudices and escape her comfort zone - and viewers were last night left shocked by her findings.
As sickening footage aired showing her being called a "f***ing Muslim" and being asked "Are you going to blow us up?", viewers took to Twitter to share their dismay.
One, Chaunsey Haynes, wrote: "I hope the people drinking at the pub on ‘My Week As A Muslim’ feel like absolute fools when/if they watch this back.
"The ignorance and outright hate is SO horrible. It’s so sad and embarrassing and I hope they’re ashamed."
Jessica Gill added: "Hope the people on my week as a Muslim hurling abuse at Muslims are disgusted in themselves, disgusting how people can treat one another."
Billy Hampson said: "Just watched about a minute of ‘My week as a Muslim’ and what I witnessed is absolutely shocking behaviour."
Mae Grainger added: "Not even 5 minutes into ‘my week as a Muslim’ and its already making me angry. The fact that people are still so narrow minded makes me sick."
Another simply wrote: "Wow. People are so ignorant."
But others blasted Katie for her own views as she moved in with host Saima Alvi, 49, and her family for seven days.
She was called "ignorant" after admitting she used to think of British Muslims as "different", and of women like Saima as "coming into this country, trying to change the way we live."
One Twitter user wrote: "The woman on My Week As A Muslim is so narrow minded and ignorant!"
Another added: "I'm embarrassed watching 'My week as a Muslim'. Never knew there were people as ignorant as Katie."
A third said: "The ignorance of this woman on my week as a Muslim is disgusting."
And another ranted: "This woman on My week as a Muslim is painfully racist and closed minded its disgusting. @Channel4 blackface ??????? Really?"
Others slammed the entire premise of the show, calling it "casual racism".
Samantha Johnston said: "My week as a Muslim - Don't need to dress up /change your appearance as a Muslim to get an insight to their beliefs. Too far! #casualracism"
Leigh added: "This 'My Week as a Muslim' show is a disgrace. How about listening to the experiences of the people who are actually marginalised and targeted instead of letting a white woman play fancy dress with somebodies life."
Last week the show came under fire for "brown facing" Katie for her part as an "undercover Muslim" in the show.
But, despite the backlash, some viewers admitted it had been "eye opening" and "thought provoking".
Michael Campbell wrote: "My week as a Muslim on @Channel4 was a good watch and a eye opener for a lot of people."
And another viewer added: "My Week As A Muslim was really good, so worth watching. I hope it did it’s part and helped make people think about their opinions on others."
TV producers admitted they wanted to make the show to challenge perceptions and "educate" the country.
Katie earlier admitted she had agonised over whether it was appropriate to continue filming - after ISIS fanatic Salman Abedi's evil attack on Manchester Arena.
She had been with Channel 4 producers in the city centre when the terror attack occurred in May.
A distraught Katie was seen on camera watching rolling news coverage of the atrocity with her host family. She could be seen telling them: "It’s this community [Manchester] that has bred this terrorist".
But she agreed to stay on and complete filming when host Saima emotionally told her: "That is what I face every day. This is me for life."
Countering backlash to the challenge, Katie told the camera: "I had concerns about how I would be framed. I’m not racist. Although looking back I am surprised at some of my early opinions."
The mum-of-two said she didn't want to offend anyone but defended her disguise.
“It was daunting,” she said. “I didn’t want to be offensive and for people to think I was taking the mickey.
“But I felt it was important to get the truth of what it’s like to be a Muslim. Otherwise it would have been half hearted.”
Host Saima added: “This was about an authentic experience. It was a disguise. It was not to create a character. It was for her to blend in and be disguised.”
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