“I was certain that day that I was going to die”: Cyclist forgives SUV driver who chased him in shocking road rage attack Abdirashid Abdi sought leniency for Shelley Anne Alabaster after she struck and then pursued him while shouting racial slurs cycling
, Abdi explained the reasoning behind his remarkable call for leniency, though he admits that the trauma of his ordeal remains fresh.
However, the cyclist told the newspaper that he is more concerned with the impact the incident has had on Alabaster, and says that he rues the time she spent in prison away from her partner and children, who he describes as “innocent parties”. “That would be a travesty of justice,” Abdi says. “I choose to forgive her, because I believe compassion and forgiveness is justice in itself. It’s another form of justice.”
“It emotionally fulfils our need of feeling safe, when you have someone sent to jail on your behalf, or the state avenges on your behalf, it gives you this emotional satisfaction.Abdi then said that the incident has prompted him to reflect on the circumstances that may lie behind violent attacks such as the one Alabaster inflicted upon him.