The Hijab—A Shield or a Threat?
I wrote this column based on an assignment from a Girls Write Now Journalism workshop. I also wrote this piece to reflect upon issues currently occurring in the Muslim community.
Some people think that it is a choice for Muslim women to wear the hijab. Others say that it is a non-negotiable requirement. I am a follower of Islam and I am beyond proud of it. Therefore, I follow and agree with the words of the Qur’an—the words of Allah—as it reads that it is essential to wear the hijab if you are a Muslim woman. Unfortunately, due to misrepresentations of Muslims in movies, news reports, and social media, misconceptions are born and spread like wildfire. Despite the bigotry, I choose to wear the hijab, as it is a necessity: a sign of strength, courage, and devotion.
THE BEGINNING
I began to wear the hijab in the fourth grade. I hadn’t even hit puberty yet. Mama told me that wearing a hijab is “a sign of strength.” When I first entered school wearing the hijab, I thought people would make fun of me, but I was wrong. People thought I looked “cool,” which I found confusing. I’ve had to answer a whole lot of intrusive questions like: Do you sleep with that on? Do you shower with that on? Don’t you get hot in that? At the time, I was the only hijabi in school and was always told I was “unique” or “different.” I never thought of removing my hijab, nor do I plan to.
ASPIRE TO INSPIRE
“The Qur’an actually tells women to cover themselves so that they can be appreciated for who they are as humans instead of being looked at lustfully. Men are also told to dress modestly and to lower their gaze in front of women so as to avoid looking at them lustfully, a sort of veil in itself.”* Within a society that views Muslim women as oppressed, it’s a sign of resistance to wear the hijab in spite of these biased perceptions. In fact, it’s a source of empowerment. There are many role models in the Ummah (Muslim community) who publicly and proudly wear the hijab, such as the journalist Noor Tagouri. Tagouri appeared in one of my favorite TED Talks, “Calling on the 10,000,” about Muslim identity. The two cousins, Yasmeena Rasheed and Fatima Abdallah, knowingly and intentionally motivate and inspire many through fashion content shown on their social media platforms. As the years progress, they’ve gained thousands of followers on their Instagram and YouTube, especially. They empower us to prove the bigots wrong, as Muslims are not animals who kill, abuse, and fight, as American pop culture often suggests.
FAKE NEWS
The media has dehumanized people of the Muslim community, and the president, Donald Trump, encourages this dehumanization. He has enacted unjust rulings, such as the Muslim ban, also known as the travel ban. This ban prevents Muslims from entering the U.S.A. In movies or on the news, non-Muslim actors are hired to say the phrase “Allahu Akbar” before a bombing or a shooting. What people can never seem to understand is that all the phrase means is “God Is the Greatest”—simple and innocuous. These misrepresentations promote ignorance to what the Muslim religion truly is—peaceful. Muslims are to attack if being physically attacked. Despite that, harming others is beyond a sin; it is disgraceful. Such legislation and stereotypes affect Muslims’ self-perception and others’ perceptions of them, affecting their confidence and shattering their pride.
NOT BEHOLDERS OF GRUDGES
I don’t blame people who are ignorant to the truth of Islam. They base their knowledge on what the media tells them—fake news. Those who are ignorant are fearful of how we dress and who they believe we are—monsters. When in reality, we fear ignorance. The Qur’an tells us to stay away from ignorance and those who follow it. “Pardon them and overlook—Allah loves those who do good” (Qur’an 5:13).
OVER IT ALL
The media continues to give off negative ideas about Muslims. On the news, when there are shootings or life-threatening accidents, eyes go on the Muslim. Politicians, like our current president, encourage these distorted ideas by passing unjust legislation affecting the Muslim community. People tend to be easily influenced by their leaders, causing them to be negative toward women who wear the hijab and making some Muslims insecure about wearing theirs. It would be a dream if we could vanquish ignorance. Then people would know the absolute truth they deserve. Nobody would give nasty glares to the old lady on the bus praying as she is wearing her hijab with pride. I’ve always been proud of wearing what is much more than a cloth, a hijab, despite the ignorance and hatred spread about my religion. There are many successful Muslim women who proudly wear the hijab and deliberately influence and inspire young Muslim women to champion their faith and confidently persevere wearing theirs, too. To some, the hijab may be a threat. To Muslim women who wear the hijab, it is a shield—the definition of courage.
* Syed, M., “What You Need to Know About Muslim Women, by a Muslim Woman,” Teen Vogue (March 27, 2017).