A Texas Christian content creator drew the ire of some netizens on TikTok for her reaction to a group of Muslims holding a procession along a city street in Houston. The woman was concerned about the gathering and warned Americans that this could be their new reality if they “don’t wake up.” Her reaction to the procession rubbed many people the wrong way. Some accused her of being intolerant toward Muslims and questioned how her views aligned with her Christian faith.
The TikToker, @melspeaksss, shared a video on Wednesday showing a large crowd of people, mostly women dressed in black abayas and hijabs, walking together along a street in Houston. Some people in the procession carried tall white and red flags with inscriptions on them. Traffic cones and barriers separated the crowd from the main road, allowing vehicles to pass by.
The exact occasion for the procession was not established in the video. However, some reports suggest it was an Ashura procession, an annual Shia Muslim observance commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
The TikToker did not appear pleased with what she was witnessing. In the caption of her post, she wrote, “This isn’t the Middle East,” expressing her discomfort with the procession taking place in the United States.
The video received mixed reactions from netizens, however. Some did not share the TikToker’s concerns and instead felt she was being discriminatory toward Muslims.
“Racism from someone with a complexion. The world will never recover,” one commenter remarked. “Omg people that are different than me,” another sarcastically wrote. A third asked, “How exactly are they hurting you?” A fourth chimed in, “Let them have their time like everyone else.”
Some people were particularly disappointed because the woman identified as Christian. They felt her remarks went against the religious values she professed.
“Such racism and ignorance. You consider yourself a Christian?!? People like you make real Christians look bad,” one comment read. Another claimed, “Jesus would be ashamed of you.”
At the same time, the TikToker had viewers who shared her sentiments. One person claimed that the procession “looks like a Muslim invasion for sure.” Another slammed those who thought differently, writing, “This is terrifying. and the idiots who think think [sic] is perfectly fine are even scarier.”
One viewer made stronger accusations about the participants. “Ridiculous that this is being allowed. Why are we letting terrorists take over?!” Another agreed, “Do people not understand that their beliefs and way of life isn’t compatible with the western world?… they’re not peaceful and actually hate America.”
There was no evidence in the video to suggest that the group posed a threat during the procession. The gathering appeared peaceful, with no violence or arrests shown in the footage.
