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THE Muslim mother who sparked outrage during Saturday's Sydney riot by photographing her three-year-old son holding an offensive sign yesterday claimed: "I'm not a bad mum."
The Jordanian woman, who does not wish to be identified, said she had been too ashamed and afraid to show her face in public after the backlash surrounding her actions at Hyde Park.
She was snapped by a passer-by as she took her own photo of the child holding an inflammatory placard which read "Behead all those who insult the Prophet".
Breaking her silence almost a week after she created a national stir, the 28-year-old university educated woman claimed she did not know what the word "behead" meant.
She insisted her eldest child picked up the poster from the ground and waved it above his head, so she took a photograph of him, not comprehending the sinister message portrayed on the sign.
"I did not know what beheading was," she said.
" I have not heard that before ... I did not think there would be bad signs like that."
The woman, who moved to southwest Sydney from Jordan two years ago, said she and her husband took their two young sons to the city for the day, along with another Muslim family, because they wanted to support the protest.
She said she had no idea it would turn violent.
"We went there to do something good, not (cause) all this fuss," she said.
The woman realised the drama she had created only when her face became the front page image on newspapers and the lead story on television news bulletins.
Insisting she was "so sorry" she said yesterday she wanted the public to know she was remorseful and did not intend to cause such outrage.
"People think I am a bad mum. I am not a bad mum, I am a good mum and I care a lot for my children," she said.
"I love my children."
She said the outrage sparked by what she believed was an innocent happy snap had taken an emotional toll.
She said she has not left her house since the weekend - other than to hand herself into police when she became aware authorities wanted to identify her.
"I have not left my house. I am afraid to go outside and see people who will think I did something bad," she said.
But on Monday afternoon, when she heard on a television report that Premier Barry O'Farrell had asked for Community Services to investigate her, the woman said she went to police to explain herself: "I wanted them to know I am not a bad person and that I am sorry."
Community Services protection workers visited the woman's southwest Sydney home on Tuesday and decided her children were not at risk.
Minister Pru Goward cleared the mother, who was not previously known to her department, and said her explanation was accepted.
The mother said she would not be taking part in any planned protests this weekend, or in the near future.
"I just want it all to go away," she said.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/top-stories/i...#ixzz272KpogMC
The Jordanian woman, who does not wish to be identified, said she had been too ashamed and afraid to show her face in public after the backlash surrounding her actions at Hyde Park.
She was snapped by a passer-by as she took her own photo of the child holding an inflammatory placard which read "Behead all those who insult the Prophet".
Breaking her silence almost a week after she created a national stir, the 28-year-old university educated woman claimed she did not know what the word "behead" meant.
She insisted her eldest child picked up the poster from the ground and waved it above his head, so she took a photograph of him, not comprehending the sinister message portrayed on the sign.
"I did not know what beheading was," she said.
" I have not heard that before ... I did not think there would be bad signs like that."
The woman, who moved to southwest Sydney from Jordan two years ago, said she and her husband took their two young sons to the city for the day, along with another Muslim family, because they wanted to support the protest.
She said she had no idea it would turn violent.
"We went there to do something good, not (cause) all this fuss," she said.
The woman realised the drama she had created only when her face became the front page image on newspapers and the lead story on television news bulletins.
Insisting she was "so sorry" she said yesterday she wanted the public to know she was remorseful and did not intend to cause such outrage.
"People think I am a bad mum. I am not a bad mum, I am a good mum and I care a lot for my children," she said.
"I love my children."
She said the outrage sparked by what she believed was an innocent happy snap had taken an emotional toll.
She said she has not left her house since the weekend - other than to hand herself into police when she became aware authorities wanted to identify her.
"I have not left my house. I am afraid to go outside and see people who will think I did something bad," she said.
But on Monday afternoon, when she heard on a television report that Premier Barry O'Farrell had asked for Community Services to investigate her, the woman said she went to police to explain herself: "I wanted them to know I am not a bad person and that I am sorry."
Community Services protection workers visited the woman's southwest Sydney home on Tuesday and decided her children were not at risk.
Minister Pru Goward cleared the mother, who was not previously known to her department, and said her explanation was accepted.
The mother said she would not be taking part in any planned protests this weekend, or in the near future.
"I just want it all to go away," she said.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/top-stories/i...#ixzz272KpogMC
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