This was my second WHD but my first wearing a hijab to work. I was worried that upon entering a building filled with hundreds of people who know me without a covering, that I would be judged or stared at, or maybe questioned about my motives. I wasn’t sure.

What struck me was the normality of it all. When dressing, I found it hard to decide if it should match my outfit or contrast it. I had no idea on the fashion aspect at all. I fussed with the hijab in nearly the same way I fuss with my hair, when passing my mirrors or catching my reflection. But it was like any other clothing choice: once on, people either said they liked it or they ignored it. No one stared, no one said anything negative, and those that asked were interested in the project itself.

On the internet was a somewhat different story. There, I was challenged in my support of “countries” that force women to wear veils.

I had it easy. I work and live in accepting and diverse spaces. But even in those few comments, I felt the sadness that some of my sisters must feel when by choosing to wear a hijab out of modesty or devotion to their faith, they are immediately judged as being part of an oppressive regime.

We are all the same. Skin colour, geography, and religions are just filters used to divide us. What binds us together is peace, understanding, and respect. Thank you for letting me walk with you for a day.

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People ask me why do I wear Hijab, my simple answer is – one I want people to see my true beauty rather than focusing on false diminishing worldly beauty. Two – I don’t believe in showoff but prefer being a pearl hidden in a shell, lying deep down beneath the ocean. Three – hijaab is my identity, I can wear jazzy clothes but I chose to live a simple life for it showcases my religion/belief.

Assumptions: People look at me with an amaze in their eyes ( good/bad/strange/old fashioned/alien from other planet/oppressed/yeah terrorist too). No, apart from the first point mentioned none of them are correct. I love being fashionable and I’m very much aliened with the current fashion trends. No, I’m not oppressed and no one enforced hijab on me, but I chose it cause I love it. Do not know about alien from other planet but would like to be considered as an angel. (Joking)

Experiences: I have observed the security team checking my bag twice for me just wearing the hijaab, but I have always observed patience with them thinking one day they will realize and will treat me normally. If compared before and after Hijaab, I have seen flirty men don’t stare at me anymore, many changed their perspective. I have noticed respect in many stares and everyone demands respect.

God: Beyond being everything said, it’s a sign of my submission to my Master/Lord. I’m in love with my creator for thy has created the good, the bad and then guided His creation to protect themselves and others from the evil start – the start could be a single gaze. No this is not an introvert thought but a deep subject to explore. I have experienced and would say hijab is a shield that covers from lustful gaze:

“O Prophet! Say to your wives, your daughters, and the women of the believers that: they should let down upon themselves their jalabib.” [Quran 33:59]

“…and not display their beauty except what is apparent, and they should place their khumur over their bosoms…” [Quran 23:31]

Hijab is necessary not just restricted to clothing but one should observe hijab in the way you communicate, choice of words, and observe hijab in your actions.

The post Hijab – Reasons, Assumptions and Experiences appeared first on World Hijab Day.

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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I am a devout Christian.

Growing up, I distinctly remember the first time I saw a hijabi in The Hague, Netherlands. I was about 3 years old. It was also the first time I saw a black person, so all in all it was a very culturally enlightening day! I remember I didn’t think it was strange when I was a 3 years old after my mother had explained why these women were covering their heads and I kept that indifferent attitude for most of my life.

About 6 years ago, I met one of my best friends in the entire world who is like a sister to me. She is the most dedicated and devout Muslim I have ever met and we really supported each other in our faith in a school where most of our friends were secular. To me, she was an absolute rock to depend on.

Being friends with a hijabi, I of course became interested in the whys and wherefores of covering up. First, I wanted to know how to style it because I’ve always loved playing around with scarves. Later, I became more interested in the day-to-day implications of wearing it.

Worryingly, I became distinctly aware of the abuse she experienced while just walking down the street and one day, I decided to walk home from her house in hijab just to see what people’s reactions would be like. It was only a 15 minutes walk down a relatively empty street but the experience was enlightening. I got some very intense stares and dirty looks although most people simply looked right through me.

Personally, I have considered becoming a nun several times. As you may or may not know, nuns cover their bodies much in the same way that a hijabi does because it is a sign that they are “married to Christ” aka have dedicated their life to the glory of God and to doing His work. I strongly urge you to speak to any nun or monk you come across because their experience of God and spiritual life is incredibly inspiring and enlightening, even if you don’t personally believe and just want to find out more or talk to someone about your problems.

We live in a world where being religious has become a sign of stupidity, of a servile attitude or weakness of mind. I believe that it is a sign of immense strength. We must declare our belief in God, the Almighty, maker of Heaven and of Earth, loudly and with pride.

I am incredibly proud of my hijabi sisters for being so brave and going out there every day to face the worst aspects of humanity head on.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” [2 Corinthians 4:16-18]

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Recently my friend notified me that my story that I submitted last year for world hijab day made the rounds back onto the page again. I thought I’d share what I’ve learned in my one year of wearing hijab. While one year is a short time in comparison to the 24 years I’ve been on this earth, I must admit that I have learned a lot in that small amount of time. Not only have I learned more about myself, but also a LOT about other people and their perceptions of the world and me in hijab. I thought I’d hash out a few of the things that I have come to find out in these last 365 days. I hope this helps others as they embark on this journey of hijab as well.

1. You can’t (and shouldn’t try!) please everyone.

Even when wearing hijab, if not because of it, people will love to judge you. The worst part is that most of the judgement will come from other Muslims! One person will think you are too conservative because you wear hijab, but the next person thinks you are too liberal because you wear jeans. But you know what? Their opinion doesn’t matter! You didn’t put on hijab for people, you put it on for Allah, because you feel it’s important for your growth spiritually. As long as you feel good about how you wear your hijab, no one else’s opinion matters.

2. You are a strong and independent woman! Skin doesn’t determine your strength!

Don’t be fooled by cultural feminists, you don’t need to show some skin to show your strength and independence as a woman. While some women feel that showing cleavage and leg empowers them as women, I feel like my hijab empowers me. While this is a topic for its own post…in a nutshell, hijab doesn’t mean you can’t speak out or have an opinion.

3. You will be treated differently

No matter what people tell you, you will be treated differently. Your friends will need to adjust to you as a hijabi (if they knew you before covering), especially if you partook in activities that are unbecoming of a Muslima (Muslim woman). For instance, now that clubbing and drinking are a no-no, some friends may not find you as interesting or fun to hang out with. You know what? That’s ok. For every person that thinks you are boring, another person finds you inspiring! I have a friend who loves to discuss my (and her) spiritual journies, including coming to hijab. Once on the city bus I saw a girl wearing a scarf loosely over her ponytail, and when she saw me she straightened the scarf to cover her head completely, and then smiled at me. I smiled back. You are making a difference, whether or not you see it.

Also, sometimes you get the stink-eye, but other times you are treated with the utmost respect. I was flabbergasted when a young man (maybe a bit younger than me) stood up on a crowded bus to give me a seat. That never happened to me before I covered. Could it be that maybe there was just one gentleman on the bus that day? Maybe, but when it happened a few more times I started to think it wasn’t coincidence.

4. People are going to assume

People are going to assume that you think a certain way or believe a certain thing because you wear hijab. They think they know why you started to wear it (ESPECIALLY if you just got married to a Muslim). Don’t let that get to you! If you weren’t being stereotyped for wearing hijab, you’d be stereotyped by your race, or your style, or having tattoos, or your hair cut, or your accent… people always want to fit others in a little box, and you don’t need to worry about that. Just keep on keeping on, sister. Their assumptions don’t define you.

5. Everyone’s journey is different

While some people find hijab to be easy, others find it so, so hard. If you are struggling to keep your hijab, while your friends or family seem to be wearing it with ease, that’s ok. There’s nothing wrong with you and there’s nothing strange about your struggle (or lack thereof!) Some days I love my hijab, other days I don’t even want to leave the house because I feel weird with it on. Fortunately, more days I love it . In any case, one person’s trials don’t apply to everyone- but take comfort that someone out there is feeling the same as you are, even if it’s not at the same time.

The post 5 things I learned after wearing hijab for 365 days appeared first on World Hijab Day.

“Have you always been in our class?” One of my classmates asked me that during my Summer intensive Major British Author’s course. The odd part was that there were only seven students in the classroom. I was always the first to arrive, always spoke in class, and the last to leave. The only thing that was different about me was that I was wearing hijab.

I had converted to Islam in early 2011, but I waited to wear the hijab until my return to the USA after I had a semester abroad in Eastern Europe. My parents had been nervous about travelling while wearing hijab. I decided to wait to commit to wear it out of respect for their wishes.

July 5th, 2011, was the first day I ever wore hijab. I wore a red patterned hijab and a dress. I felt cool and comfortable, even though it was a 95 degree day. My teacher just smiled at me when the other students were treating me strangely. On my way to my car a couple of guys started flirting, and making ‘cat-calls’ at me. I was so shocked that a man would see a woman dressed in modest clothes, and flirt! For the first time in my life, I actually had the courage to respond to them (something I had never done before). I asked “Would you talk to your mother or sister that way?” They seemed completely surprised I responded (I guess that does not happen to them very often). They quickly said “no”, and ran off. I felt fabulous so I went to the masjid to pray dhuhr before my next class.

After I got my spiritual boost, I felt ready for my mid-term presentation, worth 1/3 of my final grade. I had worked for weeks on PowerPoint presentation and speech. I tried on dozens of outfits to find  the perfect one. I wanted my hijab to be secure so I pinned my scarf under my chin and wrapped one corner of the square on to the top of my head and pinned it to a tube under-scarf with a straight pin. I looked confident and professional. When my finished my speech and smiled, the audience and I heard the pin ‘pop’ open and it fly across the room! The square quickly became an unrecognizable mess of fabric that I had to pinch tightly up by  my chin, until I could be excused to the restroom. I tied a knot in the scarf and drove home.

On the ride home, I realized how important my modesty is to me. The idea of showing my hair, totally freaked me out! It is such a important part of who I am. This was the moment I realized how committed I am to wearing hijab and that I really want to continue to wear it. I committed to wear it in public from that day on, and I have never broken my promise to myself and to God.

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