By Maryam Raja (Chicago, IL)
The first time I donned the hijab was back in sixth grade. This was a time when I still had a grasp onto my childhood, but was eager to enter into adolescence. Going to an elementary school where the Muslim population was low, I looked and felt different from the rest of my peers. I was afraid to be judged and be bombarded with questions that I may or may not have known how to answer. Being the only hijabi in my elementary school, my biggest fear was that I would go through this alone. Other students shared common traits with each other, but I felt like that one white rose in a bouquet of red roses. I stood out, which is something that should be appreciated and embraced, but my mind was too young and naïve to accept that.
My peers accepted me for who I was and what I chose to wear, but some may have taken my wearing the hijab as a point to tease me. Once a boy called me the infamous word ”towelhead,” but the funny thing was he was Middle Eastern; this label allowed me to realize that he showed no compassion to me at all and he just gave into the stereotypes. In another instance, a boy who I did not know very well stated in the hallway, ”no hats allowed in school.” He may have been trying to be humorous, but it is also possible that he was misinformed about what a hijab was and believed that I was breaking the rules by wearing it. I’m sure many of my peers thought that if I had the liberty of wearing a hijab, they should be able to wear a hat in school. I am thankful that I was and am allowed to wear the hijab in school and in public.
I entered high school and wearing the hijab became much easier for me. There were some hijabis who went to my school, so being judged happened minimally or not at all. The atmosphere was more inviting. I saw girls who went from being non-hijabis to hijabis in a matter of years. For me, it is beautiful to see others wearing hijab and seeing it not as a symbol of oppression, but one of beauty and modesty. The hijab is often thought of as a piece of cloth that covers beauty, when it actually veers the focus to a woman’s inner qualities and not here physical features.
Now that I am in college, I continue to wear hijab and will wear it until I pass from this world. I have learned that being different is a chance for me to educate others about the hijab and dismiss the false misconceptions that others have. I encourage other girls of all backgrounds to wear a hijab for a day. I encourage them to be that white rose. The experience may not be easy at first, but it gets better! Thank you for reading my story. Inshaallah one day you can tell yours!