‘Why did universal approval become a goal?’ Susan Carland on being targeted by trolls on social media

SUSAN Carland, academic and wife of Waleed Aly, has opened up about being targeted by trolls on social media.

Susan Carland and Waleed Aly arrive at the 58th Annual Logie Awards in 2016.

SUSAN Carland has opened up about being targeted by trolls on social media over her views of Muslims in Australia.

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the academic and wife of The Project host Waleed Aly, said she doesn’t care about approval from strangers.

“The older I get the less I’m concerned with what other people think of me,” she told the publication.

“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?”

Last year, the former Muslim Australian of the Year began a personal campaign to donate $1 to Unicef for every hate filled tweet she receives. Since October, Carland has donated $4,410.

Carland also told the magazine she relied on her support network to tell her if she’s wrong rather than anonymous people online.

“Strangers on Twitter with fake names? Not so much,” she said.

Susan Carland at the Adelaide International Women's Day Breakfast.

Speaking to The Australian Women’s Weekly last year, the mother-of-two detailed her decision to become a Muslim.

Raised a Christian, she switched to the Baptist Church as a teenager but found that didn’t satisfy her quest for spiritual exploration.

At 17, she started to question her religious beliefs.

“Was it because I genuinely believed it to be true or was it because it was what I was raised to believe?” she recalled.

As she explored different religions, Carland was at first adamant Islam was not of interest.

“I thought, why would anyone want to be part of a barbaric, outdated, sexist religion?”

Two years later, at the age of 19, she became a Muslim. In those two years, she’d immersed herself in books and joined a Muslim women’s group at university to make sure the religion was right for her.

“I found the emphasis on social justice appealing; I noticed there was a real concern for the vulnerable people in society,” she said.

Originally published as ‘Why did universal approval become a goal?’ Susan Carland on being targeted by trolls on social media