Dear white van driver,

A letter to you, because you’ve made me upset. Who are you?

Well, you are the creepy man who pulled your van right next to my car and decided to let me know how you felt about my hijab. Luckily for me, I was actually listening to (you won’t like this bit for sure) some Quran recitation, so I couldn’t hear you very well at first, but then when I did, I realised you were asking me “what the f*** is on your head?”

I’ll tell you. It’s called a khimar commonly known as a hijab, which I wear as an observing Muslim woman. I’d love to tell you more about it, but I don’t think you’re actually interested. But, if you really, really want to know, one of the local mosques here will be more than happy to explain things to you and entertain any further questions. The Mosque also very kindly holds regular open days for anyone interested to learn. Please do attend, but please leave your beautiful vocabulary at home that day. Here’s hoping you don’t see this as a foreigner making demands.

She was singled out because of her hijab (Picture: Gilded Dunya)

Secondly, this letter is to the 20 something year old, grey tracksuit wearing challenged-in-the-employment department (oops, I really didn’t want to stereotype) young man. You very confidently and brazenly verbally assaulted a mother with her three-year-old trying to juggle her shopping into the car. What was it that you said to your equally mirrored girlfriend? “Look at that Paki? Look, she can drive too!” And then when I looked directly at you, you said to me “Oh, you understand what I’m saying, Paki?” I wanted to say something back, I really did. But I was three weeks postnatal and was too tired to bother with a person who felt it was okay to say things to me like that in a public area where others could hear him.

Where do I start with you? Maybe a short history and geography lesson for you? You see, not every brown skinned person is from the same country! Thanks to your forefathers. South East Asia is a very large area – look up a map from the British Empire, you’ll find how the region was strategically used and divided for the very British financial, political and power gain. And how you equate my “Paki” origin to my ability to drive, I will never understand, however I suspect this is your funny understanding of world news. Let me help you a little. Saudi Arabia [where women are not allowed to drive] isn’t in Pakistan and further more; let me direct you to a library, where you will find Britain helped found the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Thirdly, this letter goes out to the cowardice gentleman (or rather just the coward) who greeted me, my three-year-old and my three-month-old baby with “F****** terrorist taking over our country with their scarf and mosques.” Yes, I was walking to the mosque, as were dozens of other Muslims. Mostly men. Why didn’t you direct your bitter speech at any of those men, why me? Maybe you thought I’m vulnerable. Maybe you don’t like my hijab. Maybe it’s not actually about me, and you didn’t think twice about how you should air your frustrations.