A Muslim teacher in a Georgia high school said someone left her an anonymous note in her classroom on Friday, telling her that her "headscarf isn't allowed anymore."
The note, scribbled in black ink, also told her to "tie" her headscarf around her neck and "hang yourself with it."
The note ended with the word "America" along with a drawing of the American flag.
Mairah Teli, a teacher at Dacula High School in Gwinnett County, located outside Atlanta, posted a picture of the note to her Facebook page Friday.
"As a Muslim, I wear a headscarf as a practice of my faith. I want to share this to raise awareness about the reality and climate of our community. Spreading hate isn't going to 'make America great again,'" she wrote.
A spokeswoman for the Gwinnett County Schools told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the district is working to find out who wrote the note. It's unclear at this time whether the person who wrote it was inspired by Donald Trump's election to the presidency, but Teli's post on Facebook assumed as much.
"I feel children feel safe making comments that are racist or sexist because of him," she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The incident comes as similar incidents involving harassment and hateful messages against people from certain backgrounds were reported in other parts of the country following Trump's victory. On the campaign trail, the president-elect had promised to keep Muslims from entering the United States. He later backed off from a complete ban, saying his proposal would keep immigrants from countries that have been "compromised by terrorism."
In his victory speech, Trump kept a unifying tone and promised to be "president of all Americans" - a departure from his campaign rhetoric.
"He said, 'We're going to calm the waters. We're going to bring people together,'" Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told Fox News on Wednesday morning.
But the aftermath of the election is anything but calm, as waves of anti-Trump protests - some more violent than others - spread across the country. Protests continue Saturday, four days after the election.
Trump echoed his victory speech in a tweet:
"This will prove to be a great time in the lives of ALL Americans. We will unite and we will win, win, win!"
But division and vitriol seem to have intensified in the past few days.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there have been more than 200 incidents of harassment and intimidation since Trump was elected. Many were directed toward African Americans, immigrants, Muslims and the LGBT community.
The nonprofit group tallied individual incidents reported on the news and on social media, as well as those reported directly to the organization's website. The center, however, cautioned that not all incidents involved direct references to Trump, and not every incident could be independently verified. Many of the incidents were vandalisms, while others involved direct attacks.
In Ohio, a Muslim woman, her children and elderly parents were threatened by a man while they were stopped at a traffic light, according to the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The man allegedly approached the family's car, banged on the window, and told the woman that she "doesn't belong in this country" - while yelling obscenities and taking pictures of her children.
In Pennsylvania, students were seen on video holding a Trump sign and parading through the hallways of their York County school. One student shouted "white power," police said. Minority students at the York County School of Technology said the harassment has been an issue for a month but has gotten worse since Trump was elected.
Victorria Markle, who is part black, told the York Dispatch that other students have called her the n-word and have threatened to kill her. Eibreha Drayden, who is part Mexican, said students have called her "Papi" and whistled at her like a dog.
In Michigan, students at Royal Oak Middle School chanted "build the wall" during lunch period in their school's cafeteria. A Facebook video that appears to show the incident had been viewed 10 million times as of Saturday.
In Georgia's DeKalb County, located next to the county where Teli teaches, a teacher was removed from class after allegedly going on a racist tirade against undocumented immigrants, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The Washington Post was unable to immediately contact Teli on Saturday. The school district's spokeswoman also had not returned an email requesting comment.
Teli, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is a California native who grew up in Gwinnett County and teaches language arts at Dacula High School.
She told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that after receiving the note, she told her students that she would be happy to speak with them about why she wears a headscarf.
"We are living in a time with a lot of disagreement, a lot of conflict," Teli said, adding that it's important to teach students to disagree peacefully and respectfully.
The Washington Post
Sun Nov 13 2016

Mairah Teli posted a picture of the note to her Facebook page Friday. - Facebook pix

Govt to ensure establishment of SEGiM aligns with introduction of Gig Workers Bill
The government intends to ensure that the establishment of the Malaysian Gig Economy Commission (SEGiM) is in line with the introduction of the Gig Workers Bill.

UK steel industry warns of damage as Trump tariffs come into force
US President Donald Trump's tariffs on UK steel "couldn't come at a worse time," the industry has warned as the levy on US imports is introduced, reported PA Media/dpa news.

Penang allocates RM49.45 million for Phase 1 of i-Sejahtera Programme
The Penang government has allocated RM49.45 million for 274,151 recipients under Phase 1 of the i-Sejahtera Programme this year.

PM Anwar calls on all parties to be agents of unity, help unite people of different races
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on all Malaysians to join hands to become agents of unity and assist the MADANI Government in its efforts to unite all Malaysians

Women representation in senior management fall to 36.2 pct in 2025
The Grant Thornton Women in Business Report reveals a concerning decline in the representation of women in senior management positions in Malaysia.

Singapore Airlines prohibits usage, charging of power banks from April 1
Singapore Airlines (SIA) passengers will not be allowed to use power banks or charge them throughout their flight effective April 1.

Captain of cargo ship arrested over fatal collision in North Sea
The cargo ship captain involved in the North Sea's deadly collision has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

No plans to follow us in repatriating illegal immigrants - KDN
For the period up to March 9 this year, the total number of deportations from Immigration depots was 9,199 people.

Air pollution responsible for nearly 7 million deaths annually worldwide
A report by the World Air Quality Index indicated that only 17 per cent of cities worldwide meet the recommended air quality standards.

At least 137 Gazans killed in Israeli attacks since ceasefire
According to the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor , Israel has been killing an average of seven Palestinians every two days.

Malaysia strengthens semiconductor supply chain with ASEAN member countries - Liew
Malaysia does not intend to compete with neighbouring countries or other ASEAN member states in its efforts to strengthen supply chains.

Six men arrested for alleged misappropriation of subsidised cooking oil in Semenyih
Six men, including five foreigners in their 30s, were arrested for alleged misappropriation of subsidised cooking oil.

Hamas says new round of Gaza ceasefire talks has begun
expressing optimism that the talks could lead to "tangible progress"

Ukraine says ready to accept 30-day ceasefire with Russia
Ukraine conveyed its readiness to accept a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, as delegations from Kyiv and Washington met in Saudi Arabia.

Musk's SpaceX agrees Starlink cooperation with Airtel in India
Tech billionaire Elon Musk plans to enter the Indian internet market with his Starlink satellite system, reported German news agency dpa.

Trump announces higher steel and aluminium tariffs for Canada
US President Donald Trump plans to impose additional high tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Canada.
![[COLUMNIST] The futility of resisting English: A barrier to national progress [COLUMNIST] The futility of resisting English: A barrier to national progress](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2025-03/81741686561_EMIR.jpg)
[COLUMNIST] The futility of resisting English: A barrier to national progress
Promoting Malay language doesn't mean disparaging or undermining other languages, we can uplift it without diminishing others.

What is driving the bloodshed in Syria?
The violence has pitted the Islamist-led government's security forces against fighters from Assad's Alawite minority.

Only seven countries met WHO air quality standards in 2024, data shows
Only Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Estonia and Iceland made the grade, according to IQAir.

Gaza hunger crisis could return if Israeli blockade continues, UN relief agency chief says
UNRWA warns the situation in Gaza is quickly deteriorating.