61. "Suicide Bomb Her!"

Often when I walk down the streets and hear the various comments that are thrown at me, I am either feeling a combination of irritation and annoyance or admiration for their creativity because let me tell you, I've heard some creative one liners that have come my way. 

But today, something happened that really rattled me. As I was walking down the street to enter my work compound, I heard a man yell out of his car window, "Intehareesh ko!" - "Suicide Bomb her!" 

I tried to see which car it came from, but there was no way to tell. Most of the faces starting out at me from the cars stuck in traffic had either disgust, disdain, hatred, or simple indifference on them. I know the comment wasn't directed toward me, Nilufar. It was directed toward what I represent -- a woman who has decided to be out in public and not dying in some hole. I know its time to stop taking these kinds of risks and just stop walking but is that really the price I have to pay for living here? I cover up as required, I walk with my head down, I don't talk to anyone, I don't respond to the abusive comments I hear but still at the end of the day, they want to "Suicide Bomb" me.