If you’re a Twitter troll, Susan Carland – the wife of The Project host Waleed Aly – couldn’t care less about what you think.
In a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Carland opens up about why she chooses to brush off criticism from “strangers on Twitter with fake names.”
“The older I get the less I’m concerned with what other people think of me,” she said.
“I’ve learnt that the idea that you are only acceptable if everyone likes or agrees with you is not just a pointless errand, it’s also misplaced. Why did universal approval become a goal?”
Late last year, the university lecturer began a campaign to donate $1 for every vile Tweet that was directed towards her on social media.
“I donate $1 to @UNICEF for each hate-filled tweet I get from trolls…The needy children thank you, haters!” she tweeted at the time.
Just eight months later, Susan has revealed that her charity tally is over $4400.
Susan converted to Islam at age 19, and is regularly the victim of nasty comments taking aim at her religion and her marriage.
Susan proudly wears a hijab, and even describes herself as “hijabulous” in the description on her Twitter profile.
Hey Mia: How do you deal with haters?
“In a society where women’s bodies are used to sell everything from toothpaste to cars, [for those women] covering [their] body is about…saying ‘I’ll decide who sees my body and what parts they get to see by wearing a hijab and covering my body I’m choosing to not have my body commodified in that way,'” Carland told Mamamia.
Susan on how never thought she’d end up with Waleed:
Top Comments
My body is not a commodity. There is more than one way to live. I decide what I wear. It is so liberating having choice.
That's the point. You have a choice in what you wear and so does she. She chooses to be conservative with her body, I choose comfort, you can choose what you want. None of our choices should be looked down upon.
I am confused by your term conservative. What do you know of my clothing? Who decides what is conservative?
I definitely agree with her. One of the best things about getting older is that you simply don't care what complete strangers think of you. It sounds simple enough in theory but can be really hard in reality to practice. But now I don't give a toss!