By Amira Patel
Women in Islam are thought to be subjugated, degraded, oppressed – but are they really? Are millions of Muslims simply that oppressive or are these misconceptions fabricated by the bias media?
The niqab (face veil) to me is liberating and dignifying. It gives me strength and freedom.
I wear the niqab as a personal act of worship and I deeply believe it brings me closer to God.
Often, Muslim women are seen to be oppressed due to the hijab and niqab, but that’s not the case; more than anything, we’re free!
As Muslim women, we need to be modest and should not be chasing validation or approval from others. But being modest doesn’t mean you are restricted from living your life as long as you are following the right steps in life.
Many people think when you practice the hijab or niqab, it’s been forced. But that’s not the case, as in our religion, you can’t force anything; it has to come from the heart.
There are some challenges when it comes to the outdoors and hiking due to these misconceptions —that Muslim women are oppressed, strict, boring and extremists —but in-fact, they are the opposite. Automatically, I am seen to be an extremist or strict, when in reality, I am just a normal average down to earth Muslim girl.
When you do certain activities such as mountain climbing, running, water sports, etc., they are glorified, yet it becomes questionable when it comes to someone who wears the niqab. Do people really think that women who wear the niqab suddenly have no personality, hobbies, or lack having fun?
Let’s forget about race and religion, but being a female, there are many misconceptions such as you are unable to achieve things because you are not strong enough. These stereotypes need to be broken.
These misconceptions not only come from non-Muslims, but also from Muslims. There is a lot of pressure for you to be perfect and your mistakes seem to get magnified more. People wait for us to make mistakes just because we are implementing the hijab. Veiling doesn’t make us perfect. We are still on the same journey as every one else. As long as we adhere to our religion, embrace your dreams and passion.