Amal Al-Sibai
Racism and bigotry, sadly, are prevalent in almost every society. Muslim women dressed in the hijab are, at times, the targets of such hatred and racism in Western countries.
One intelligent, energetic, and creative Australian Muslim woman, Susan Carland, thought of a way to transform the negative energy of hate into something positive, and actually turn evil into goodness.
Susan Carland says that for a long time she had been receiving hate messages on Twitter and Facebook about the way she is dressed, about her religion. Anonymous haters charge her with being a woman who loves oppression, murder, war, and sexism.
“Their online abuse ranges from requests to leave Australia, hope for my death, insults about my appearance (with a special focus on my hijab), accusations that I am a stealth jihadist, and that I am planning to take over the nation, one halal meat pie at a time,” Susan Carland said in a report she wrote for the Australian newspaper, The Age.
She had attempted engaging them in conversation and responding to their comments in a respectful dialogue, but it was pointless, and she achieved nothing. Most cyber-bullies and trolls have a fixed mindset of hate and anger. They didn’t even try to understand her explanations of why she wore the hijab and what she believed in as a Muslim.
She put deep thought into the appropriate way to respond to such unpleasant and hostile messages. Blocking, muting, ignoring, and replying hadn’t worked so well.
Turning to her faith, she read parts of the Holy Qur’an to find inspiration, to guide her to the best way to respond, without compromising her principles, but at the same time, standing tall as a strong and confident Muslim woman.
She came across the verse in the Holy Qur’an, {And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better}. (Chapter 41, verse 34)
As a devout Muslim woman, she had to be the better person, have a bigger heart, take in all the hate with a peaceful smile on her face, and in return do something good for the world.
In her report in The Age, she said, “So, in response to all the hate I receive simply because I am Muslim, it was only natural that my response would be rooted in the fact that I am Muslim.
I felt I should be actively generating good in the world for every ugly verbal bullet sent my way.
And so the idea of donating $1 to UNICEF for every hate-filled tweet I received came to me. I particularly liked the idea of giving to UNICEF, as so often they were assisting children who were in horrific situations that were the direct outcome of hate – war, poverty due to greed, injustice, violence. These children seemed like the natural recipients for the antidote to hate. And donating to them every time I was abused felt like tangible good in response to virtual hate.”
Carland has two children of her own and she wants to set a good example for them, and build their Muslim character.
So far, and in just two weeks, Carland has raised more than $1,000 in funds to be sent in humanitarian aid to children, through UNICEF, as she recently announced on her Twitter account. She is surprised by the overwhelmingly positive feedback to her anti-hate campaign. Her friends and followers too can donate to UNICEF through her account, without sending hate messages.
Great ideas, just like a candle flame is contagious and once it touches other candles, it spreads its light. Others have already started their own accounts to donate to UNICEF, for children’s programs that provide nutrition or education.
Susan Carland is in the process of completing her PhD. She is a professor at Monash University, lecturing on gender studies, politics and sociology, with a focus on Muslim women and Muslims in Australia.
Carland grew up in an open-minded, warm Christian household. At the age of 17, she started looking into different religions, except for Islam, because she had the presumption that it was a sexist, outdated religion. However, after sifting through all the media hype and going to credible sources on what the religion was truly about, it made sense to her. She was drawn to Islam both intellectually and spiritually. At the age of 19 years, Carland embraced Islam.
She described her conversion to Islam, not as a rejection of Christianity, but more like a continuation or a crystallization of her faith.
Carland is married to Waleed Aly, an Australian writer, academic, lawyer, media presenter, and co-host of a news program on Australian television. “By refusing to let the hate of others mold me, I am more secure and relaxed in my own identity than ever. Their hatred of what they believe Muslims are has encouraged me to recommit to the beauty of my tradition,” Carland wrote in her op-ed piece in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Light is stronger than darkness; donations and support for her campaign staring pouring in from all over the world. She has encouraged others to donate to UNICEF, and she has also sparked the curiosity and interest of many people to try to educate themselves on the true meaning of Islam.
