The hijab is a sign of modesty that Muslim women have fought to wear for centuries. Today, I will  discuss the historical political battles that Muslims endured  and the significant impact they had on the freedoms women enjoy or are denied today. Even if you are not a Muslim, I still recommend you read this as it addresses attacks on the freedom of women, not just about Muslims.

Turkey

In 1923, when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the Turkish Republic, he introduced strict secular policies, such as banning the hijab in public institutions. This is to modernize the country and distancing it from Ottoman Islamic tradition. Thus, the Turkish government presented Muslim women in Turkey with a decision that weighed their religious beliefs against their participation in public life.

The tide turned in the early 2000s, as political parties with a more Islamic orientation, like the Justice and Development Party (AKP), gained power. Women fought years of legal battles and protests until Turkey finally lifted its ban on hijabs in universities in 2008. In 2013, the government also abolished the prohibition on hijabs in public sector jobs. These legal changes all occurred within 20 years following a long history of discrimination, highlighting how Islamophobia is a prevalent issue even in today’s society.

Germany

Similar to Turkey, Germany enforced a ban on women  wearing hijabs in professions  such as teaching, policing, the judiciary, and other jobs in public office on the grounds that it was necessary to maintain state neutrality. Thankfully, Germany’s Federal  Constitutional Court deemed this unconstitutional in 2015, although the issue remains a point of contention. Hence, this decision did not bring complete freedom for Muslim women. Even today, hijab-wearing women may still face unfair treatment and dismissal based on religious bias accusations. Something that is rarely applied to followers of other religions.

Canada, France and Other European Countries

Several countries, including France, Belgium, Kosovo, and parts of Canada, opted for banning the wearing of the veil (hijab) and all other visible religious symbols in certain public institutions, including schools. Such restrictions, like the French law banning religious symbols in public schools, enacted in 2004, have been justified through the principle of secularism, which seeks to keep religion separate from the state. This kind of law, I believe, seems unjust, as humans deserve the fundamental right to freedom of expression and religion. This policy disproportionately affects Muslim women as it forces them to reveal parts of their bodies, making them uncomfortable. I understand how some may argue that such an action ensures equality, which aims to prevent religious differences from dividing the population. But shouldn’t school celebrate everyone’s differences instead of forcing everyone to be the same? This raises questions about whether the policy is truly about equality, or whether it reflects underlying Islamophobia and sexism.

In conclusion, women have fought in many countries for the right to be modest and conservative. It is essential that we remember these struggles so as not to repeat past injustices. In Turkey, women struggle to wear the hijab, while in France and Canada, authorities compel them to remove it. Both situations deprive women of their right to choose and control their own bodies.

While much of the debate is framed around secularism and public order, the central issue across these cases is women’s autonomy. The problem often goes unnoticed when the media solely focuses on countries like Afghanistan and others that mandate the hijab, while ignoring countries where it outlaws it. See how there is no outrage when governments prohibit women from wearing them?

My  message to women around the world is to support each other.  This is the reason I became a member of the World Hijab Day Organization, which advocates for the freedom to choose without fear of facing discrimination or coercion. This  is my first article with them, and I hope it found a place in your thoughts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As an experienced Muslim writer, Sanaa Chowdhury is passionate about addressing the political, social, and economic challenges facing the Islamic world. Through her work, she aims to raise awareness and spark meaningful conversations about the issues impacting Muslims globally. Every day, she strives to inspire change and foster understanding, knowing that with the support of her audience: “Together we can make a positive and lasting impact.”

The post Politics and State Control Over the Hijab appeared first on World Hijab Day.

Remember the #Handsoffmyhjiab (PasToucheAMonHijab) movement in 2021? The struggle is still real, especially in The Olympics 2024, taking place in France, a country notorious for its laws against religious garb including the hijab.

Upon research, Amnesty International has discovered that out of the 38 European countries participating in The Olympics, especially FIFA (International Football Federation), FIBA (International Basketball Federation) and FIVB (International Volleyball Federation), France fully inhales and exhales strict national laws and sports regulations on “headgear” or more specifically, hijab.

Therefore, the IOC appears so desperate to continue the games in France that they went along with the hijab ban despite their dedication to their values and principles of inclusion. If one were to analyze the principles of Olympism, then it is clear that their philosophies to creating a better world through sports and their service to humankind, are defined as the following:

-Universality and Solidarity

-Unity and Diversity

-Autonomy and Governace

-Sustainability

Do any of the above align with the current hijab ban in The Olympics? This question is rhetorical because the IOC has blatantly compromised their principles, which proves detrimental to their reputation. If they didn’t have a hijab ban back in the 2020 Olympics, then why have it now?! Simple-the games are taking place in France, not in Japan or any other country for that matter.

While French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal stated in a speech back in 2023, “We are sending the message to all women: your body belongs to you and no one has the right to control it in your stead,” he changed his mind when he banned abayas or loose-fitting attire from schools. “You enter a classroom, you must not be able to identify the religion of the students by looking at them,” he had said. This is just a continuation of the initial hijab ban in sports, which began in 2006, the official hijab ban in schools since 2004. This is also discriminatory for women who choose to wear the hijab because let’s face it, they live in a country where there is supposed to be freedom of choice.

As a result of the hijab ban in The Olympics, Amnesty International, has released a letter to the IOF regarding the French hijab ban, calling it “dismissive and inadequate:”

“The ban on French women athletes who wear headscarves from competing at the Olympic Games breaches international human rights laws and exposes the discriminatory hypocrisy of French authorities and the craven weakness of the International Olympic Committee (IOC),” said Amnesty International in a new report published ahead of the Paris Olympic Games.

Anna Błuś, Amnesty International’s Women’s Rights Researcher in Europe, said that banning French athletes from competing in sports is a mockery to the first gender equal Olympics: “It’s really important that big international organizations, such as ours, express their solidarity with Muslim women, because they have very often — really particularly in France, but also in other countries — (been) subject to negative stereotypes, demonization, homogenization of what it might mean to them to wear hijab.”

Among the beautiful and talented outspoken hijabi athletes you will not be seeing at The Olympics are French-American basketball player, Diaba Konate, and Australian boxer, Tina Rahimi, just to name a few. FYI, join the movement.

Rahimi wrote in a post, “No matter how you look or dress, what your ethnicity is or what religion you follow We all come together to achieve that one dream. To compete and to win. No one should be excluded.”

Konate told the media, “My heart is broken by France’s Olympic hijab ban.”

Furthermore, Vogue has so graciously highlighted hijabi athletes’ opinions on the recent hijab ban:

Syrian Olympic runner Rahaf Khatib, told Vogue, “It’s simply because we exist, we are strong, powerful, and beautiful. We deserve to be represented fairly and we are here to demand a seat at the table, or make our own spaces.”

American Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad told Vogue, “I choose to wear hijab in accordance with my beliefs as a Muslim, and also because it is a reminder of my connection to my faith.”

Mountaineer, who climbed Mount Everest and Olympic runner, Manal Rostom, told Vogue, “I’m hoping if we raise enough awareness, we won’t be having the same conversation come Olympics 2028.”

How did the IOC reply to Amnesty International’s letter? By writing, “Freedom of religion is interpreted in many different ways by different states.” If you ask me, it sound contradictory to their actions.

The controversy surrounding hijab has not stopped, but it must stop with us. Otherwise, we risk our children growing up while facing oppression due to their choice of clothing and the limitations that may follow. Power to the #Handsoffmyhijab movement!

About the Author:

Rumki Chowdhury is the Editor of the World Hijab Day Organization. She holds a Masters of English Literature from the Queen Mary University of London and a Bachelors in English Writing from William Paterson University of New Jersey. She holds the honor of being an award-winning published author and poet who has experience in the worlds of publishing, media and academia. Moreover, she is married and is a blessed mother of three daughters.

The post The IOC Compromises Its Principles with Hijab Ban appeared first on World Hijab Day.

To begin, let me state unequivocally that Muslim women should have the freedom to decide whether or not to wear the hijab. It should be entirely in their hands to make this decision. Any intellectual discussion of the veil’s use in educational facilities or other public spaces should be founded on and centered on this fundamental point.

Since the declaration of a “war on terror” two decades ago, Muslim women have been the victims of institutionalized Islamophobia in Europe and other parts of the world. Their freedom of expression and religion have been systematically hampered with and violated by European states and other parts of the world through discriminatory legislation and policies, as well as racist rhetoric.

Under the guise of ‘neutrality’ and ‘protection,’ these countries are slipping into pre-Renaissance religious intolerance by enacting discriminatory laws. Many Muslim women have faced gendered Islamophobia and discrimination as a result of these state-led actions. Headscarf bans have had a significant impact on Muslim women, both those who choose to wear them and those who do not.

In today’s world, Islamophobic attacks are on the verge of escalating. Muslims are accused of women’s oppression, terrorism, ignorance and hostility toward civilization. Many Muslim communities are being persecuted around the world. Some Muslims are caught in the middle of a battle in which they are subjected to military fire. Others are embroiled in a battle of ideas, conflicted by propaganda and insults. Oftentimes, psychological warfare is more damaging than military warfare, as its effects can linger for generations. And Muslim women who wear the hijab, which is the most visible representation of Islam, are caught in the middle of heated hate.

Instead of zeroing in on the issue of people’s prejudices against Muslims, the argument is predicated on the assumption that the hijab is the problem. Is it that important what people are wearing? If real progress is to be made, it must begin and end with the removal of bigotry, not with the removal of head coverings.

Can individual rights be protected while maintaining society’s secularist values without being overly restrictive of individual rights or being overly liberal in preserving a culture of foreign norms? Legislation and judicial review are used to negotiate the specific balancing points between the will of the majority and the freedom of the individual.

While secularism may prevent people from making laws based on religious scriptures, it cannot prevent fascists from oppressing religious minorities as “threats” to national identity. Currently, this is what we are seeing in India with the Hindutva Movement against Muslims, and it happens in France and Austria, and it is gradually spreading throughout Europe. The fight over the hijab isn’t just an Indian or European issue; it’s a global phenomenon with a long history. The challenge for these countries lies in shifting away from a state-controlled public sphere toward a pluralistic society that can accommodate people of diverse ethnicities and religious beliefs.

Moreover, liberal democracies are built on the principle of giving individuals the latitude and freedom to express themselves, including their religious convictions. That is, the individual is shielded from the state’s ability to dictate their choices.

Democracies are legitimate when their general will is shaped by free people. Individual liberty is threatened when the democratic will is undermined, so individual rights are protected to keep democracy from crumbling. This has been the consensus since at least the time of John Locke.

Individual rights would be violated if the hijab were to be prohibited. It is yet another method of controlling women, and taking it to the government level and legislating how women dress is a violation of human rights and undermines the entire foundation of democracy. Moreover, some see the hijab as a symbol of ethnic identity and self-affirmation in a society where Muslim communities constitute a significant number of those marginalized. It is not the right policy to try to outlaw religious symbols in educational facilities and other public spaces. This blanket ban is the embodiment of the very fundamentalist ideology that it seeks to combat.

Secularism should enshrine the idea that all religions are welcome as long as no one is discriminated against, religious or non-religious, and as long as everyone is treated equally in terms of rights and responsibilities in front of the law.

About the Author

Famidah Dirampaten is a candidate for the Master of Arts in Religious Studies with concentrations in Interfaith Peace Building and Nonprofit Leadership at the Unification Theological Seminary in New York. She is currently based in Doha, Qatar. Instagram@famidz

The post THE GUISE OF SECULARISM: HIJAB BANS appeared first on World Hijab Day.

I’m half Moroccan and half French and I have been wearing hijab since 18th April 2010. It was one of the most important decisions of my life. A piece of cloth does not define a person but I strongly believe that appearances do have some say, if not much, about a person. I’m very independent. It is one of my most obvious traits.  So when I started to think about wearing hijab, I didn’t wish to be influenced by anyone that is why I did not tell anything to my family or friends. It came as a huge surprise to them when I first wore it and luckily I was positively surprised by their reaction and that of neighbors. On my first day as a hijabi, I went to visit a friend.  I met only French and non-Muslims on my way (Subhan’Allah (Praise be to Allah)) who smiled and greeted me in their usual lovely style. Hijab really changed my life but as a person, I was just the same. Men (Muslims and non-Muslims) started looking at me differently. They weren’t shy but they gave me much more respect.

The most important aspect of hijab is that it continuously reminds me of who I am and what I want to be! Being a Muslim in the 21st Century and that too, in France is very challenging. You’ve got to be really strong. Despite all, hijab is my identity, my strength, and my pride. When life gets hard and destiny sends me far away from my family and my friends, my hijab gives me self-confidence and reminds me of my principles and convictions. It reminds me that Allah is always watching over me with love and trust. It reminds me of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and his exemplary behavior. The best feeling of wearing hijab is when you don’t notice it as something awkward and neither do others.  So I love it when people act normally instead of making a big deal out of it because after all,  I’m just like any other woman. I don’t think or pretend to be better than others because of my hijab. I’m just trying to be a better version of me with every passing day. My hijab is a big part of my personality but it is only between me and my Creator and I am only accountable to Him.

I ask Allah for the guidance of the whole Ummah  and humankind.

The post It changed my life but I am still me appeared first on World Hijab Day.

I converted into Islam almost one year ago (May 7, 2013). I never thought I would fall in love with a religion so beautifully humble. I’ve come a long way from where I was a year ago. I used to roam this world with an empty feeling inside my heart before Islam. People always ask me what is my testimony from Islam. I could name them the many blessings Allah has sent me this past year but that still couldn’t sum everything. So I simply reply with a smile and say my happiness is my testimony. I found that not only did my life spiritually change but so has my life around me. One week after I converted into Islam I began to wear my Hijab. I had let my parents know I converted so I felt that I had nothing holding me back from covering. I have always been a person that would careless what the people around me think, so when I wore my Hijab people would stare and I would smile back thanking Allah for blessing me with happiness. I think wearing the Hijab is such a beautiful look on women and I support WHD. Knowing that all around the world there are millions of women feeling as empowered and beautiful as I do is what fuels my spirit with happiness. Subhanallah I even saw my younger sister who is not Muslim wearing Hijab with me. Inshallah I will continue learning more about Islam so I can enlighten those around me of the peaceful religion.

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