The world around us is blossoming with diverse religions, beliefs and ideas. There is beauty in the difference, and in order to see that, we all have to seek to understand diversity. This is why this article is so important to me, I want people to know it is okay to wonder and ask me questions about my beliefs and in particular my hijab.
Much of the rhetoric around the hijab (the head covering Muslim women wear), is about how it is oppressive, harmful and something women should denounce. This has led to a rise in animosity towards Islam and Muslims. While I believe everyone has the right to their beliefs and opinions, It is extremely disheartening to hear that such unbalanced discourse about Islam and the hijab has led attacks on hijabis, which only seems to worsen every day. A headline in the British Publication Independent from December is as follows: “Muslim woman dragged along pavement by hijab in London hate crime attack.” The woman discussed in the article was shopping in a popular in Chingford and attackers.My own mother was fearful of wearing the hijab because the news kept telling the same, scary narrative of attacks on hijab and Muslim women. I believe education is the key to unveiling ignorance. I think it is important to acknowledge the reasoning and agency of Muslim women in wearing the hijab and that is why I decided I am going to share my journey with the hijab.
First off, Muslim women adorn themselves with the hijab primarily because it is commanded for them to do so in the Quran. It is mentioned in just two verses, right after it mentions the significance of modesty for men. However, the hijab means something different to every woman who wears it and my personal experience may be unique to other women.
I started wearing the hijab when I was 14 years old. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t really sure why I wore it at the time. Many of the Muslim girls my age wore it and I simply felt like it was important to follow suit. No one in my household compelled me to wear it. In fact, my mom actively discouraged it. But I was stubborn and continued to wear it. It has been a struggle at times, but I’ve come to deeply connect with, and understand the hijab in a way that makes it meaningful to me. The hijab is a marker of my faith. It identifies me as Muslim, and allows me to wear that badge proudly. It forces me to be vocal and loud about my connection with God. The concept of hijab is not alien to Muslims; It is extremely similar to the Catholic tradition of wearing a head covering in order to display their adoration of the Church and Jesus. Orthodox Jewish women also wear head coverings. It is a shared concept in all Abrahamic faiths. There is also an emphasis on modesty for both men and women in Islam, as a follower of Islam is meant to embody modesty, through their character and through the way they dress. I hope this article was useful in understanding why the hijab is beautiful to Muslim women; we are not all forced.