Ivan: Did you hear that?

Urpi: What?

Ivan: Those two Muslim girls that were outside. They were just walking along when some man shouted Bin Laden at them from a car...

Urpi: How did they know they were Muslims? Come to think of it, how did you know?

Maru: They were wearing those scarf things, dummy. Do you walk around with your eyes shut?

Ivan: They aren't 'scarf things'. They're called hijabs or chadors.

Urpi: Why do they wear it? They wouldn't get shouted at if they didn't. They could just take it off.

Maru: Yeah but think about it, why should they take it off? Just to make some racists in a passing car happy? I guess it's part of who you are if you're a Muslim, and I can't see that it's anyone else's business what a Muslim wears. It's like trying to tell an old woman from the Galician countryside she isn't allowed to wear the headscarfs some of them wear, or criticising her for wearing black when someone dies. Some people might think it's old fashioned, or that it's sexist because men don't wear black when someone dies, but I think it's none of their business.

Urpi: But Muslim girls are made to wear it, aren't they?

Ivan: Actually, Islam doesn't say you have to cover your face. It's really more about dressing in a sort of restrained way and about showing your faith.

Maru: Well, as I say, it sounds to me pretty much like the ideas of most old women living in rural areas of Galicia.

Ivan: You know Rashida? That girl in our English class? Can you imagine anyone making her wear something she didn't want to? She told me she chose to wear her hijab, chador or whatever, even her mother doesn't wear one. She says it helps her be a better Muslim.

Urpi: How?

Ivan: Well, you'd better ask her. I'm not an expert, but she said something about it helped her pray and stuff like that. I mean, really why not ask her? She's in our school and everyone makes all these assumptions about why she does things, doesn't eat pork, wears certain clothes ...

Maru: Whatever; hijabs, chadors then. Anyway, they were wearing them and the men in the car shouted at them.

Ivan: Islamophobia.

Urpi: What?

Ivan: It's called Islamophobia. People hating Muslims and thinking they're all crazy or fundamentalists. It's just stupid. Lots of Muslims just get on with their lives. Rashida is no supporter of Bin Laden or fundamentalism. There are fundamentalist or fanatic people everywhere, not only among Muslims. The problem when people generalise too much and think that all Arabs are fundamentalists, all Spaniards just like sun, flamenco, paella and bull-fighting, and all British people are distant and unfriendly.

Urpi: I see, I see. Or that all Peruvians are musicians, who play the Andean flute!

Ivan: Some people are going to get a shock... Rashida told me this, okay... You know I said her mother doesn't wear a hijab? Well, her aunt does. Her aunt came into school last week and she was sent to see the caretaker because they thought she was a cleaner. Big mistake! She's our new English teacher.

Maru: Assumptions... So Rashida's aunt could call the person who sent her to the caretaker stupid in at least three languages!

Urpi: ... Aren't we privileged to be part of such an assorted and colourful group!

Maru: Yes, like those assorted biscuits you like so much.

Ivan: Speaking about biscuits... I wonder if we would catch fish better if we put a biscuit on the hook instead of that worm?