When this essay was reprinted on The Guardian website on 6 July 2017, the writer added the short introduction below in order to give the piece context. We’ve reproduced it here in order to illustrate the extremity of her treatment during the first half of 2017.

Given that I am now the most publicly hated Muslim in Australia, people have been asking me how I am. What do I say? That life has been great and I can’t wait to start my new adventure in London? That I’ve been overwhelmed with messages of support? Or do I tell them that it’s been thoroughly rubbish? That it is humiliating to have almost ninety thousand twisted words written about me in the three months since Anzac Day, words that are largely laced with hate.