A user on Reddit posted an image of a letter found on a London bus, the letter was left there by a 14-year-old Muslim girl who wrote on the recent Westminister attacks and how it has affected her.
The letter is responding to the March 22nd attacks which were masterminded by Khalid Masood and left four people dead. The letter which was left on a seat on the number 53 bus for a stranger to read.
She confesses the guilt and the sadness the 14-year-old felt after the attack, she explains, "I am a Londoner aged 14 years old I also happen to be a black muslim", she went on to express, "I was watching the news it dawned on me that I would go into school and people would expect answers".
The letter was a way in which she could individualize herself, and not let her being a muslim be the reason she is thought of as a terrorist, "We may be muslim but we don’t want to hurt you. We aren’t terrorists."
The letter was posted onto Reddit by user crlxzzz. Many people commented on the forum, one user, named, The-Road stated, "There is something seriously wrong if parts of our society expect Muslims to feel even an ounce responsible for acts of criminals. We don't apply this standard to anything else. It's a dangerous tribal thinking."
Another user named, Chelsearock wrote on how the letter moved her and hoped it did the same for others, "This is heartbreaking, and it really highlights a view that isn't represented in everyday media.
I've been moved by this and I hope it'll have an effect on the public to stop treating Muslims (or anyone else regardless of race, religion, gender, etc) differently. There's no reason to blame somebody else, or even treat them differently, for an action that they don't have any control over, at all, regardless of circumstance."
The 14-yea-old girls has remained anonymous.
The entire letter below:
"Dear stranger
Please Read My Letter
From – a Muslim
Dear London
I am a Londoner aged 14 years old I also happen to be a black Muslim.
After the tragedies at the Westminster attack, I came to the decision that I wanted to do something.
A horrible, horrible thing happened right in the heart of London a place I love so very much.
After hearing of the attack I was very agitated and scared for the people of London and the victims.
The next day I woke up early and I was watching the news it dawned on me that I would go into school and people would expect answers. As I walked out the door at 8.15 as I usually do and as I saw the familiar faces of my everyday endeavors I wondered what they were thinking I tried my best and walked on smiling, hoping for a smile back.
Some were returned and some weren’t. I went into form and as we spoke about the current affairs I felt all eyes on me.
I felt flushed and hot suddenly – almost guilty? What do I have to be guilty for?
I couldn’t determine if I was being paranoid or eyes were darting to the corner of the room to where I was sitting.
I walked into my first lesson and a girl had asked me where I was the night before, I laughed it off because I knew she was joking and that’s what humans do when they don’t know what to say.
You don’t have to do or say anything to your Muslim classmate or colleague.
We may be Muslim but we don’t want to hurt you. We aren’t terrorists.
Every Saturday I pass through Westminster and I had to think twice about it this time. I was scared that maybe I would be assaulted because of the many labels that come with wearing a hijab…
I tend to digress a lot when I am writing so I will skip to the point.
I am a hard worker there’s nothing more that I want than to finish my education and become a lawyer but London is my home and I want that to happen here.
Sometimes I wonder if that will happen and if I will be able to get a job 10 years down the line. I hope I can.
It’s scary being a Muslim as these horrible acts of terror are happening and I hope that I can still live here 50 years down the line and that my future children will get so see the beauty of London and the amazing people who live here.
What I feel is too much for me to express on paper and I hope I have communicated my message well to whoever is reading this.
My last hope like the hopes of many others is peace.
Thank you for reading this. I have spent time writing this letter and you may decide to scrunch it up, keep it or leave it behind for the next person to read.
All I ask is someone learns something from this letter even if all they learn is that I have terrible handwriting."