Wearing the Hijab for more than 5 years has allowed me to feel more empowered and beautiful than ever. At times, wearing the hijab was challenging and felt degrading to my confidence because I was always different and I never fit in. These challenges have made me feel stronger and have improved my Emaan(Faith). A misconception in the 21st century is that “The hijab is oppressing women”. My hijab makes me feel beautiful among others because people only can see my personality and not judge me based on my appearance and body shape. The hijab allows people to get to know me based on my personality and character. Also, just like most others, I play competitive sports and that is one of my passions. My hijab and religion has not ever forced me to stop playing because of the way I was dressed compared to everyone else. It makes me feel special and different and motivates me to continue playing. The most important aspect of my hijab is that it continuously reminds me of who I really am on the inside. It also promotes self-respect and love by protecting your body from the external forces of the 21st century and not being persuaded to take it off.

Being a Muslim living in Canada among a diverse mosaic of people, has forced everyone to look at me in a different way than everyone else. People have learnt not to ask me to do things against my religion. Why? Because they have learnt to respect me and my religion and accept me for who I am. Instead, my friends and I choose to do other activities that allow me to be included and have a good time. It’s wonderful living among my beautiful friends who are not of the same religion but yet have so much love for me. When there is anything wrong with my hijab they fix it for me or if they hear the Athan ring they remind me that it is prayer time. They don’t only remind me its prayer time they observe and allow me to explain my religion without judgement. Also, if anyone is judging or bullying my because of my hijab or religion they get involved and stand up for me. This is what respect is, learning to love each other while being different and respecting each other’s religion. Among everyone I feel special, kind of like a Queen… the hijab on my head acts as the Crown. My hijab protects me and reminds me that Allah (SWT) is always watching over me with love. All and all, my hijab is between me and my creator and I am only accountable to him.

May Allah (SWT) guide the whole Ummah to embrace and accept Islam. Ameen

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I participated in 30-day Ramadan Hijab Challenge in 2014 and I came to a better understanding of not only why the hijab is worn but a better understanding of myself and what I stand for as a person. I come from a Christian family, though I believe in God, I am not religious, and as a young child I never really understood why certain people dressed like that and as I got older I was always told the women are forced to wear them and that the hijab is a sign of oppression (I now know this is not true).

Wearing the hijab I felt the complete opposite. I felt liberated from the pressures of society to look a certain way and I even felt more feminine and confident. I had always thought hijabs were beautiful but I was always afraid of telling anyone or telling my parents that I wanted to try wearing one for fear of what others would think or if I wasn’t allowed to wearing one. That was until this Hijab Challenge. Even though the hijab challenge is finished I still occasionally wear the hijab for how it makes me feel.

Being covered I have more self-respect, it makes me feel closer to God and feel a freedom I was unaccustomed to before. The challenge was difficult at times, people looked at me in certain ways (not good way) and some people even yelled rude things at me from their cars but I have come to understand that people who truly care for me will accept me for who I am not what I wear or how I look.

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This message goes out to Sadia, Rahila and other fantastic Muslim women who encouraged me today:

Thank you for supporting me today, and for telling me I was beautiful as I practiced a level of modesty that is not commonly seen in Christian circles. Thank you for laughing with me as I struggled to wrap my hijab and keep it in place, and grinning at my rogue bangs as they struggled for attention. Thank you for the many words of blessing and thoughtfulness and the likes on my photographs as I attempted to document today’s activities wearing a hijab.

Thank you for being you: your modesty, your passion, your humor, and your bravery. Thank you for being vocal that the hijab is not a symbol of oppression but a symbol of your choice to protect modesty in a culture that devalues it. Thank you for accepting me enough to include me today. It was a privilege to stand with you as a sister. I hope to continue doing so.

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