NAVAN, Ireland (Diya TV) — A respected Irish-born doctor says he was left shocked and hurt after a group of children hurled racial slurs at him outside a shopping center in Navan, County Meath. Dr. Taimoor Salman, a medical registrar at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, said the verbal abuse happened around 9 p.m. last Thursday. He had stopped at Blackcastle Shopping Centre to pick up groceries on his way home from work when the incident occurred.

Dr. Salman said he had just stepped into his car and was preparing to reverse when a young boy cycled in front of his vehicle and began shouting “Mr Curry Man” in a broken Indian accent. He estimates the child was around 10 years old.

“I said he was being very rude,” Dr. Salman recalled. Moments later, he said, an older boy approached and asked if he had said something. Dr. Salman explained that the younger boy had been disrespectful.

“The older boy told me to shut up and started doing impersonations of Apu, the Indian shopkeeper from The Simpsons,” he said. “I just left. I didn’t say anything more because they were children.”

Despite his calm response, Dr. Salman said the incident left him stunned and deeply upset. While Dr. Salman has seen racism in professional settings before, he said he did not expect such behavior from children.

“There seems to be a horrible pack mentality,” he said. “This incident was insidious.”

Dr. Salman, whose parents are originally from Pakistan, was born in Ireland and spent part of his childhood in Navan. His father worked as a surgeon at Our Lady’s Hospital in the town before the family moved to the UK and Saudi Arabia.

“I went to primary school here,” he said. “I have nothing but good memories of Navan as a child. I never experienced racism here before.”

That positive experience was part of the reason he decided to return to Ireland with his wife and young daughter in 2017. He has since been working in Drogheda and living once again in Navan.

Dr. Salman says the town feels different now. He no longer feels safe walking alone at night and believes there has been a recent surge in public hostility toward people of color.

“This wave of hatred is quite recent and increasingly open,” he said. In 2017, it was peaceful and safe. I could walk anywhere without fear. Now, I only go to crowded places.”

He emphasized that Ireland belongs to everyone and called for greater respect and inclusion.

“There is no invasion,” he said. “This is everyone’s home. Everyone should be respectful. Racism is ugly, and it should never be accepted.”

Dr. Salman also highlighted racism within the medical profession. He said even official guidelines sometimes refer to people as “coloured,” which he finds outdated and offensive.

“Why?” he asked. “All people are just people. We all have a heart. We will all live and die. There should be no distinction.”

He said he has seen fellow consultants and other healthcare workers targeted by racism as well, calling it a troubling pattern that affects both professional and everyday life. The doctor hopes speaking out will raise awareness and inspire change. He wants Irish communities to stand against racism, educate young people, and foster a culture of empathy and understanding.

“Ireland was always a warm and welcoming place,” he said. “I want it to stay that way for everyone, no matter where they come from or what they look like.”