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'A beacon of hope': Birmingham MP Jess Phillips praises woman who stood up to EDL

Saffiyah Khan faced down the EDL with a smile as she defended another Muslim woman at the protest in Birmingham - Yui Mok/Joe Giddens/PA Wire
Saffiyah Khan faced down the EDL with a smile as she defended another Muslim woman at the protest in Birmingham - Yui Mok/Joe Giddens/PA Wire

Birmingham MP Jess Phillips has praised the local woman who stood up to the leader of the EDL when the extreme right-wing group came to protest in the city.

She said Saffiyah Khan was a "beacon of hope" because of the way she faced the English Defence League's anger with a smile.

Ms Phillips told The Telegraph: "Saffiyah personifies the Birmingham I know, not just because she is a young bold Asian woman but her laid back attitude in the image says "we're better than you think".

"I feel proud to be from a place that rejects far right hatred and Saffiyah is a beacon of that hope."

Ms Khan told The Mirror about her experience at the rally.

She said: "(The EDL supporter) was poking his finger in my face, but I just stood there. I didn't do anything, I wasn't interested, that wasn't my intention. 

"I couldn't understand what was being said though to be honest, it was all very mumbled. "But I wasn't scared in the slightest. I stay pretty calm in these situations.

"I knew they were trying to provoke me, but I wasn't going to be provoked.

"I didn't realise how many people would be so supportive, so it was worth it."

The man in the picture appeared to be Ian Crossland, the leader of the EDL.

A Facebook account which seems to belong to Mr Crossland posted an angry message after the picture went viral.

The comment said: "The dirty unwashed left-wing scrubber was grinning because she managed to disrupt a demo...she's lucky she got any teeth left".

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