Praying Moroccan student mistaken for terrorist

Regional TLK train. Photo: wikipedia

Police confirmed on Sunday that the incident took place on Friday night, on a regional service between the two cities.

According to police spokesman Karol Bator, a 59-year-old Polish woman was travelling in a compartment with a Moroccan man, and she became alarmed when he began to pray.

“She was scared and she got off at the next station, which was Wloszczowa,” Bator told the TVN24 news station.

“She called her husband, who in turn called the police.”

The train was brought to a halt at 9 pm at the station in Idzikowice.

However, it soon became clear that the woman's fears were unfounded.

“The woman had misinterpreted the situation,” Bator said.

“The man had the Koran, but he didn't have any explosives, and he was not behaving dangerously.

“A police patrol was supposed to come to the scene. But after assurances from the conductors and the train manager that the Moroccan did not pose a threat, the intervention was aborted.” (nh)