By CONOR BYRNE
NT News
July 04, 2014 11:37AM
A MAN who was called a “f***ing Indian” and told he wasn’t Australian because he was “not white” has said his patriotism has been hurt.
The incident in which Waqas Haider was racially abused by a strip-club bouncer was caught on video.
His friend filmed the incident outside the site of the former Honey Pot Club on Darwin’s Mitchell St in February.
The video is so full of expletives much of it has been censored, but in the raw footage the bouncer can be heard throughout the video taunting the man.
“You’re a f***ing Indian mate. Have a respect for our country,” he can be heard to say.
“Speak English.
“It’s our country. Australia mate. White people.”
Mr Haider was born in Pakistan, not India, grew up in the United Arab Emirates, and became an Australian citizen in 2013.
Waqas Haider. Picture: JUSTIN SANSON
The argument allegedly started when 28-year-old Mr Haider complained about balloons allegedly put on the road by the bouncer, saying they could cause an accident.
Mr Haider had been guiding his friend around the city when the incident happened.
“I told him proudly that in this country you can walk through the roads independently with respect and dignity,” he told the Sunday Territorian.
“I told him that everyone was equal here.”
In the video, Mr Haider can be heard saying to the bouncer: “I’m f***ing Australian”.
But the bouncer can be heard to say: “You’re not white.
“Mate you’re from f***ing India. You’re from India mate. You’re not even f***ing white.
“You’re boat people.”
The argument got heated, and Mr Haider accused the bouncer of being a “f***ing racist”, to which the bouncer can be heard to say: “That’s right, we’re all f***ing racists.”
“Go complain to the f***ing government, they’ll kick you out”.
A voice is heard to say: “Shut up you f***ing gook.”
Mr Haider said his “patriotism is absolutely hurt”.
“I sang (the Australian) anthem with full excitement and elation on the day when I was told by the Mayor that I am the Australian citizen and have equal rights as other Australians do. In fact, he proclaimed that ‘Now you are one of us’,” he told the Sunday Territorian.
“I believed in what he said and took Australia as my country. The country you want to spend the rest of your life, the country where you want to contribute the country where you want to raise your children and adapt its culture and represent it proudly in front of the rest of the world.’
Mr Haider has released the video because he said he has failed to get any satisfaction from other avenues that such an incident will never happen again.
“I do not have money to afford federal court’s lawyer’s fee. Does it mean I can be berated and humiliated anywhere due to my race?” he said.
“What measures do we have to avoid this situation again?
“If they said: ‘we apologise, we’ll train the security guard, it won’t happen again’ — that’s fine.”
Honey Pot management was called for comment but did not respond. But in a response to the UN Human Rights Commission, the manager said security were unable to recall the alleged incident.
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