From hate to harmony: London date vendor turns trolls into customers
A London trader has won hearts across the UK after responding to a wave of online Islamophobic abuse with an act of disarming generosity
LONDON (MNTV) – A London market trader has won hearts across the U.K. after responding to a wave of online Islamophobic abuse with an act of disarming generosity — free dates for everyone, including his critics.
Syed Usman Shah runs a date stall at Borough Market, the historic food hub in the heart of the British capital, as reported by The National.
Last year, he was featured in a Heathrow Airport welcome campaign alongside 13 other Londoners representing the city’s diverse workforce, including a Beefeater and workers from prominent tourist spots.
For Mr Shah, who had set up his business only a couple of years earlier, appearing in the campaign was an important personal milestone.
The publicity, however, brought unwanted attention. A photo from the campaign was shared online with a hostile caption, rapidly accumulating 3.6 million views and thousands of negative comments from people who objected to a Muslim face welcoming visitors to the U.K.
Mr Shah’s response was as unexpected as it was warm. He invited his trolls — and everyone else — to visit his Borough Market stand for complimentary dates, and added a 20 per cent discount for online orders in quiet tribute to the very post that had targeted him.
The gesture worked. Strangers arrived in person to apologise. Supporters flooded in daily to show solidarity.
“People come every day to promote and to say they stand with me,” he said to The National. “Even people who were saying horrible things about me.”
His motivation was straightforward. “I just think we have to show love in times like this,” he explained. “I’ve not done anything outstanding. All I’ve done is follow the teachings of my religion.”
The story arrives against a sobering backdrop. Religious hate crime in England and Wales reached a record high in the 12 months ending March 2025, with offences targeting Muslims rising 20 per cent to 3,200 cases.
Yet Mr Shah’s experience suggests that individual acts of openness can still shift perceptions. “People say to me they never thought they would be in touch with a Muslim,” he reflected.
As for his business? “We gave so many dates away for free,” he laughed. “But business is booming now.”
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