By Krista Sirviö
Translated and edited by Rumki Chowdhury
Bangladeshi-Norwegian, now residing in Sweden, Nisha Begum, proudly wore the hijab or headscarf on February 1st, to show her solidarity with millions of hijabi women, worldwide!
“I celebrate World Hijab Day to show my support for the hijabi women who wear hijab,” Nisha said. “World Hijab Day is an initiative, I think, in counteracting Islamophobia and prejudice in society. Hijab, hijabi women and their faith are often misunderstood without knowledge of its history or meaning.”
She explained how wearing the hijab for one day gives her a fresh perspective on what it is like to walk in the shoes of the hijabi woman. She described the experience as both different and positive.
“It gave me the insight that what is different does not need to be met with anxiety, but rather can arouse curiosity and understanding. This day highlights a multicultural society and emphasizes freedom of choice. What a person chooses to wear or believe in is their own private matter. And therefore, it should be met with more recognition rather than fear.
“More women should wear hijab for one day just to see what it is like. It can help reduce prejudices,” she said. “Everyone has different stories. The scarf is about more than what you see.”
She expressed how she reflected on Islam and how misconstrued one’s perspective can become due to misleading media propaganda. Nisha believes that this type of propaganda can also disrupt one’s yearning to learn more about something new. She said that in seeing and hearing what is said about Muslims, Islam and hijab via media as in TV, radio and film, it may make the viewer feel like they know enough not to ask questions, when in fact, they know very little to nothing about Muslims, Islam and hijab.
“Hijab is not just a piece of clothing. It is a personal choice and is closely linked to one’s own identity and faith,” she said.
“For me, it is important to support this commitment and I also want to contribute to counteracting Islamophobia and prejudice in society.
“Women all around Sweden celebrated World Hijab Day. For example, some university students held a gathering at their Muslim Students Organization on campus; Muslimah SV, a non-profit for networking among Muslim women, passed out roses at a local mosque, and women were simply hugging and wishing each other “Happy World Hijab Day.
“I have always had great respect for women who wear the scarf, but trying it myself gave me a clearer understanding of what it can mean to live with it every day.”
Nisha encourages others to try the hijab.
And one does not have to wait until the 1st of February to get the chance to try it on. You can do it any day you wish. Also,World Hijab Day Organization has another initiative called “Hijab30 Challenge,” whereby a woman can try wearing the hijab the entire month of Ramadan.
About the Author:
Krista Sirviö is a Swedish Muslim who has many years of experience working within the Swedish media.
About the Editor:
Rumki Chowdhury is the editor of World Hijab Day Organization. She is also an award-winning published author, poet, and journalist. Her experiences expand across the following branches: media, book publishing and academics. She has an English Teaching Degree from the Gävle Högskola in Sweden, a Masters in English Literature from Queen Mary University of London and a Bachelor´s Degree in English Writing from William Paterson University of New Jersey.
