By Siti Wajihah
By ethnic, I am Arab, Chinese and Javanese. By nationality, I am Malaysian. I was raised in Austria, Croatia, and America. I returned to Malaysia at the age of 14. In high school, I was in boarding school as my family was abroad in Qatar, then Jordan. Once a year I visited them. With my worldly upbringing and exposure as a third culture being, I see myself as a global citizen. Earth is my home.
The hijab and I have had an on and off relationship. I was trained to wear them at an young age and it was because I was told that if I don’t, I will go to hell. It made me not want to wear it even more. I decided not to.
Ironically, it was my journey of not wearing my hijab that made me want to wear it. It was not until I reached my early adulthood that I understood the significance of the hijab. There was a period in my life when I was way from my family and I had a massive fall out with my friends. I was alone in search of myself with only God as a guide. Within this duration, without any outside influences, I discovered the beauty of hijab and decided to wear it permanently. Not because I was forced to, not because I have to, but because I want to. It was a piece of me that was missing.
The mistake often made is when Muslim women are told that they are condemned to hell for not wearing the hijab. I hated that. The hijab should not be seen as such, rather, it is the ultimate gift for women. It is how Allah proves that He cares for us. It is His way of protecting us. I understand that now and this is the belief that I hold strongly on to.
Wearing the hijab, you are not looked at for your body, but you are seen. You are seen for your righteousness and piety. You are seen for your personality. You are seen for your intelligence. You are seen for your attitude and dignity.
It is far from oppression. It empowers women. Men are cautious in their behavior to hijab wearers. They keep their distance out of respect for our choice to choose the path of holy-ness and modesty.
It is not the hijab that prevents women of their rights, it’s the laws or culture that human themselves create. I wear the hijab but I work, I drive, I socialize and I do my best to contribute to my community. The hijab doesn’t restrict you, only you restrict you.
So wearing the hijab is my choice. It is who I am and what I believe in. It is a reminder for me to lead a life of humility. It guides me not to see or judge people for what they wear, what they own or how they look, but rather to get to know their hearts.