Blindfolded Muslim asks strangers for hugs (VIDEO)

[Turborama]

Blindfolded Muslim asks strangers for hugs in social experiment designed to combat Islamophobia

A blindfolded Muslim took the streets holding a sign asking strangers to hug him in a social experiment designed to eliminate stereotypes and overcome prejudice.

The video shows the touching moment people approached the man, who could not see, during a Blind Trust Project in Toronto, Canada.

As the clip shows he had one sign which said: “I trust you – do you trust me? Give me a hug” and another which said: “I am a Muslim – I am labelled as a terrorist”.

“We did it to eliminate the stereotypes that surround Muslims", Maaz Khan, founder of Time Vision, which made the film, told BT.com.

“We wanted to promote love and peace between different races and religions. Anyone could easily have hurt him when he was blindfolded, but we trusted the people and the response was just heartwarming. It’s all about coexisting.”

AsoOmii Jay, seen in the video, said the inspirational video was made in response to recent hate crime and bullying against Muslims due to Islamophobia.

As you can see by the response from the public, it definitely broke down some social barriers.

http://home.bt.com/news/world-news/blindfolded-muslim-asks-strangers-for-hugs-in-social-experiment-designed-to-combat-islamophobia-11363961138298

[gordianot]

1. This might work in Toronto I can think of several cities in the USA he would risk his life.

Remember the underground railroad led to Canada for a reason.

[upaloopa]

2. Very cool

[KMOD]

3. That was great!

Thanks for posting this.

[The2ndWheel]

4. I don't get what that proves

What would happen if you put a guy that looks like your typical white southern racist male(but he was just your normal everyday non-racist) into the same situation in say NY city?

Mohamed Atta didn't have a sign with him. Neither did Tim McVeigh. If they did, and it said do you trust me, would you? How would you even know?

Take the signs away, take the blindfold off, and get rid of the cameras, and is anyone going to just hug a random stranger because they say trust me?

[KMOD]

5. I'm a hugger, so I probably would.

I once drove past a home where a woman was standing in her front yard bawling. I pulled over, hugged her and asked her what was wrong. Her mother had passed away inside the home. I stayed with her, hugging her often, until the ambulance arrived.

Anyway, the point of the blindfold, was to show his trust. He was standing there, blindfolded and vulnerable to any random person on the street.

I thought it was very lovely.

[The2ndWheel]

7. He was a spectacle. I'm not sure he's vulnerable in this situation

I doubt anyone is going to walk up and slug him in that context. Take the signs away, and I'm not even sure if anyone is going to just hug some guy with his arms out with a blindfold on.

It's nice and sweet, but I don't know what it accomplishes. Put a couple Muslim men in ISIS garb on the same street, and is anyone hugging them? Even with a huge sign saying "everything is ok, don't worry" or whatever?

[KMOD]

8. You do realize that there are people who can't distinguish between

ISIS and this young man? Sign or no sign, there are people who are afraid or distrusting of Muslim men. There are people who believe all Muslims are terrorists.

You see all these people walking up to hug him, and most of them seem unaware of the camera. If those actions can get other folks on the street who feel that fear, or distrust, to rethink their prejudice and conclude that perhaps it's misguided and silly, mission accomplished.

[Turborama]

9. You got it straight away.

Sad that it even has to be explained, really.

[polly7]

6. Now that was nice.

I'd definitely hug.

[Albertoo]

10. Muslims are not a problem, Islam is.

The 1.6Bn muslims are just as good, bad, caring, uncaring as any 1.6Bn people sample.

But half of muslims have been made to believe that apostates or gays deserve death.

And they believe that because it says so in a book that can't be criticized.

The problem is the sanctity of that book (which is not very well written anyway)

[Turborama]

11. Where do you get your 50% stat from?

[cherokeeprogressive]

12. "I am a Muslim-I am labeled as a terrorist." "We did it to eliminate the stereotypes..." A Pantload.