Dear Hijab,
You are a tiny piece of cloth that adorns thousands of Muslim women’s heads as a sign of faith, religious conviction, and modesty. I bet you never intended to be the center of so many controversies. So many feel it is their duty to make a judgment about you. A symbol of oppression they say! All this leaves me quite confused as I have chosen to wear you out of my own free will as a sign of humility and obedience to my Creator. Far from being subjugated I feel liberated! I am certain you must be devastated when you hear the comments pointed towards you while you have no voice to defend yourself. Let me tell you that I feel proud, complete, and at peace with you on my head.
You are a part of my identity, of who I am and I would be incomplete and disheartened without you. When I hear that women are being forced to remove you because it is not deemed as an appropriate attire, it really saddens me as while wearing you my face is still showing so I do not understand ….Why so much negativity you ask? It is out of ignorance, fear of the unknown.
Some women wear you as a fashion statement around their neck, this is acceptable because it is fashion. Should the hijab be showcased on the catwalk by a modern fashion designer, the perception would change immediately and it would become acceptable because you would now be considered as the latest trend. Now you are not accepted since you are the result of faith… And in a world and society that are proving to be more and more hostile towards you, I can feel your sense of isolation… I know people have a lot of prejudices about you, please don’t take it to heart. Hang in there dear hijab. While all the negative comments about you make a lot of us feel dehumanized and disrespected, you will always remain the symbol of freedom and choice for us and we will never discard you because others are dictating us what to do so based on their personal opinion.
Yours truly,
Sajeeda from Canada
الحمدو الله ربي العالمين