Muslim Woman Who Was Filmed Catching a Seagull Finally Breaks Her Silence and Reveals Why She Did It

A Muslim woman says she is now afraid to go out in public after a video of her rescuing a baby seagull went viral online and falsely accused her of catching the bird to eat it.

Nora Mubarak was trying to help a young seagull that had fallen from its rooftop nest in Grimsby when she was secretly filmed by two men sitting in a van nearby. As she carefully wrapped the frightened bird in a towel to protect it, the men laughed while recording her. Nora later walked over to explain that she was only trying to return the bird to its mother because she feared it would be run over by a car. However, she says that part of the conversation was deliberately cut from the video before it was shared online.

The edited clip quickly spread across social media, leading to false claims that she intended to kill the bird for food. Nora, who is well known among wildlife lovers and is an active member of the Seagull Appreciation Society on Facebook, said she was devastated that anyone could believe she would ever harm an animal.

The situation grew even bigger after Oliver Freeston, the Reform UK leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, shared the video on Facebook with the caption, “Grimsby in 2026.” Far-right activist Tommy Robinson also reposted the clip, claiming it showed “invaders” catching and killing seagulls in broad daylight and calling for such people to be removed from the country.

The posts attracted huge attention, with the video being viewed at least three million times. Since then, Nora says her life has changed dramatically. She claims she now receives hostile looks whenever she goes outside and has been subjected to insults from strangers who wrongly believe the false claims circulating online.

According to Nora, people have shouted offensive names at her, calling her “barbaric,” “a savage,” and even a “seagull eater.” She says she worries not only about her own safety but also about other Muslim women who wear traditional Islamic clothing, fearing they could become targets because of the misinformation.

She explained that even when she tries to cover her face, people still recognize her from the viral video. Nora believes the false story spread because of prejudice against the way she looks and dresses, saying people published lies about her simply because she is visibly Muslim.

Nora strongly rejected the accusations, saying she loves animals and could never intentionally hurt one. She said anyone who abuses animals cannot be trusted and described such behaviour as disturbing.

Recalling what happened that day, Nora said she could see the baby bird was helpless and unable to fly back to its nest. Although some people suggested she should leave it alone, she believed the mother seagull was distressed and wanted to do everything she could to reunite them.

She said the man filming approached her in an aggressive manner while she was focused on calming the frightened bird. Rather than argue, she explained that she was trying to protect it from being hit by traffic and intended to return it safely to its nest. She believes the people filming knew exactly what she was doing but deliberately removed that explanation before posting the footage online, creating a misleading impression that quickly spread across the internet.

Nora also criticised Tommy Robinson for leaving his post online even after community notes challenged the false claims. She accused him of continuing to spread misinformation about Muslims and said she believes he is using the video to create division and encourage hostility.

She argued that hatred directed towards immigrants and Muslims distracts attention from the real issues affecting society, including economic problems and failures by those in power. In her view, racism is becoming increasingly visible and the online reaction to the video is another example of that trend.

Despite everything that has happened, Nora said she is grateful the story had a happy ending for the bird. With the help of a kind neighbour who used a ladder, the baby seagull was successfully returned to its rooftop nest, where it was reunited with its mother.

Nora said the mother bird appeared extremely distressed while the baby was missing and became noticeably calmer once they were reunited. She believes animals experience deep emotions just like humans and deserve compassion and respect.

She ended by saying she considers seagulls to be an important part of Britain’s wildlife and believes every animal should be treated with kindness. For Nora, helping the vulnerable bird was simply the right thing to do, and she hopes people will look beyond the false rumours and remember that the rescue was an act of compassion, not cruelty.