English train passenger sits with Muslim woman to show solidarity

An Englishman who noticed other train passengers were deliberately avoiding sitting near a Muslim woman has sat beside her in an open show of support.

His Facebook post about the incident, which he wrote on October 26, has since gone viral and received over 40,000 likes.

Dante Jamie Coyne, 25, was on his way from Woking, Surrey to the neighbouring town of Basingstoke when he noticed a section of the train was unoccupied except for a lone Muslim woman.

“Everyone made it beyond obvious they would not sit in this section of six seats due to the fact a woman wearing a niqab head-covering was already seated there,” he wrote.

“I loudly announced ‘I’ll sit here then’ and took my seat.”

“We said nothing the entire journey but as she [the woman wearing the niqab] got off train, she nodded at me and heard a very quiet ‘Thank you’.”

A number of Facebook users have since posted messages to Mr Coyne, thanking him for his kind gesture.

“Couldn’t help but cry… I know the feeling all too well! So again thank you!” said user Danielle Allen, reports Buzzfeed.

Mr Coyne, overwhelmed by this response, has since deleted the post and temporarily closed his account.

“I am still in shock that what I deem normal has been praised so highly,” he said.

“Part of me is actually saddened by the many experiences people have shared with me as to why they are so grateful for my actions.”

In a final post to his page, Mr Coyne added: “I did nothing but be a respectful human being and hope in time I see others do this more often.”