Date: Wednesday, February 1st, 2023 
Time: 8:30 AM-1:00 PM (EST): 
Location:
Watch LIVE here: 
Facebook.com/worldhijabday
YouTube.com/worldhijabday
WorldHijabDay.com/Live

Conference Schedule: 
Opening Ceremony Quran Recitation:
Time: 8:30 AM EST 
Maryam Jazeem: Multi Award Winning Female Quran Reciter, 10 yrs old.

Opening statement: 
Time: 8:45 AM EST 
Nazma Khan: Founder & CEO, World Hijab Day Organization

PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Topic #1: Being An Unapologetic Hijabi 
Time: 9 AM EST
Speakers: 
Shatu Sani Garko: Miss Nigeria 2021 
Deqa Dhalac: First Somali American mayor in the United States 

Topic #2: Progression, Not Oppression
Time: 10 AM EST
Speakers: 
Sveto Muhammad Ishoq: LSE & Schwarzman Scholar
Dr. Uzma Syed: Infectious Disease Expert 

Topic #3: Hijabophobia in Public Space and Labor Market 
Time: 11 AM EST
Speaker:
Afaf Nasher, Esq.: Executive Director, CAIR-NY

(“Know Your Rights” Presentation will be given)

Topic #4: Media and Hijab
Time: 12 PM EST
Speakers: 
Shaima Elbialy: French journalist and activist 
Zainabrights: Journalist

Join Conference Facebook event here
Download Conference promotional flyer here

Mark your calendars! DON’T MISS IT!

For more information, contact us at info@worldhijabday.org

The post World Hijab Day Conference 2023 appeared first on World Hijab Day.

My Hijab.

My Hijab is my crown.

I am a queen, and like a queen I don’t shake hands with strange men.

My Hijab.

My Hijab is peace.

This piece of cloth that covers my body.

Is serenity.

A sign of submission.

They say it’s a sign of submission to my husband.

I say:        No.

Submission to Someone much more important.

Omnipotent.

Allah.

Lord of the Worlds.

My Hijab.

My Hijab is a reminder.

A reminder to myself to behave in the manner I am supposed to:

With integrity.

Peacefully.

Respectfully.

Honestly.

Auspiciously.

Humbly.

Modestly.

My Hijab.

My Hijab may serve as a reminder to other people of how to treat me:

I am not an ornament for your eyes.

My beauty will not be cheapened by using pieces of my body to sell your:

Body wash

Cars or

Power tools.

I will not be used in some misogynists’ music video.

No.    You may not have my number.

All that man covets is hard to reach;

Gold and Jewels must be mined.

Oil must be drilled.

Pearls lie

Sealed

In shells

At the bottom of the sea.

Why is my body any different?

My Hijab, believe it or not, has nothing to do with you:

Your laws to ban it.

Your opinion that I’m oppressed.

Your view on my style of expression or belief system.

Your hateful heart and your hands that rip it from my head.

Your not in charge of my fate

My destiny.

My.          Maker.          Is.

My Hijab is my Piety.

My non con formation to mainstream.

I will NOT let YOU make me AFRAID.

This is who

I AM.

Before you made it something for people to fear.

And attached words like “Terrorist” to it.

Before you attempt to

Try to make me

Take it off,

or Assimilate.

My Hijab:

Get used to it. It’s not going away.

My Hijab is happiness:

Tranquility.

Serenity.

I am here.

I am empowered.

My Hijab is a liberation.

The Flag in the Muslimah Liberation.

The first movement of ‘feminism’;  started by the Prophet Muhammad.

May Peace and Blessings be Upon Him.

I declare these streets

Any streets

My Hijab’s country.

My Hijab’s Universe.

We are free and answer to God Alone.

But mainly

My Hijab and everything under it Is mine.

Mine

Mine

Mine.

My God Given Right.

My Freedom.

My Protection.

My Liberation.

My Dedication to My Maker and

No One Else.

The post My Hijab: A response to Eve Ensler’s “My Short Skirt” appeared first on World Hijab Day.

Because the attached picture was taken on the 1st of February 2013, it makes it exactly 2 years now since I have donned the Hijab. I clearly remember how excited I was and how painful it was to properly style the long shawl. It felt pretty warm too!

One of the first questions people would ask me was what prompted me to make change in my life, especially when I was known to dress in a quite fashionable manner in my younger days. The transformation was brutal and to some, it came as a real shock!

Well, the decision I made had nothing to do with a Pilgrimage Trip or a Completed Hajj. I had just quit a horrible job at that point in time and felt that the time was ripe to “follow instructions” from the Creator, and stay on the straight path. I didn’t want to be straying from his mandatory requirements anymore.
Besides, I no longer wanted to be “free for all”. So, yeah, I made that call to put on the veil – a decision which came straight from the heart, with absolutely no external pressure from anyone.

I kinda regret I made that call a little late in life – and for that, I’d like to offer some food for thought to some young ladies out there.

Believe it or not, the Hijab doesn’t reduce your attractiveness at all.

The beauty that is in your heart and the light that is in your face, will in fact, radiate more once your hair is properly covered and your body lines blurred. And the bonus is, men will automatically respect your more.
No more whistling and no more nonsensical talks.

The post My transformation was a real shock! appeared first on World Hijab Day.

I loved having people take a second look at me because it made me feel beautiful. But after learning and understanding more about Islam, I realized that I was wrong. I then started to wear hijab with the encouragements and motivation from my love ones.

Starting was not easy. I got negative reactions from people around me due to my drastic change. To make matters worse, my soul mate seemed distant and cold towards me. I was confused and upset because with a heavy heart, I had to remove my hijab to save my marriage.

Again with the removal of my hijab, I was shunned by the people who thought I am doing wrong. Alhamdullilah, now Allah has opened his heart to allow me to wear hijab. I feel so much happier. I feel secure and I urge all women to support wearing hijab.

The post I had to remove my hijab to save my marriage appeared first on World Hijab Day.

I am originally from Sudan but grew up in Abu Dhabi – UAE. I started wearing hijab when I was 15 years old. For me it was just the natural thing to do. I went to do my undergrad in Electrical Engineering in Sudan then I came to the US for my master’s. In my first semester at the University of Alabama in Huntsville,  was September 11 and everyone freaked out. My professor called me every day to make sure I was okay.  

Some  of my friends and family asked me to remove my hijab to be safe but my thought was I am safe! How can you not be safe when you are worshiping God? If my time to go today then it’s my time whether I wear hijab or not. It is not going to change my destiny so I never removed it. However, I went through a lot of harassment.  I remember in Kinkos when I was trying to print out my project, the lady who worked there refused to help me! Oh man I made a scene by complaining to her manger in public ( it was crowded ) and demanded my right to be served like anyone else or explain to me why are you treating me this way? Of course, the manager apologized in public to me and gave all my service for free. 

When I finished my master’s in Electrical Engineering in Alabama, I joined the oil field as a field engineer with a title called MWD ( Measuring While Drilling). I was working offshore for Schlumberger.  Honestly,  for this position, the female percentage was 30% ( if I remember correctly) but doing it with hijab and going through all the water surviving training with full cloth was a challenge. One thing I learned was you are what you present;  if you present confidence, people will treat you with respect. Of course, hijab affected me in many ways.  First, I cannot be rude to people regardless how I feel because then it won’t be oh! this lady is rude.  It will be the girl with the scarf is rude or Muslims are rude. I learned to be in my best behavior. Also, I learned to work harder than everyone else because everything I do represents Islam, not me.

Years passed by and I moved from Schlumberger to another company ( Baker Hughes) and finally to Halliburton. When Halliburton called me for a Field Engineering position called Directional Driller,  I thought they made a mistake as it’s known that no one hires females for this position but I answered the call and went to the interview in Casper, WY. I got the job on the spot.  I was the second female they hired for this job and the second female to have this job in USA.  And of course, the only Muslim with a scarf over her head. I worked in remote areas and it was very challenging.  Some people really hate Muslims and for them, I was the devil walking in heels. But doing my job better than everyone else and knowing my rights, I put everyone in their place and became the go-to-person when there was a problem.  After one year in the field with Halliburton in ND, they moved me to the office here in Houston, Texas to develop the first Well Design Course the company ever had. Shortly afterwards, I became the Houston Training Manager to train all Field Engineers globally.

I also became the company’s voice for female and diversity and was the keynote speaker in many events to inspire women to become engineers. 

Did I mention I am half way through getting my private pilot certification?  

One thing I want to tell every hijabi woman is that hijab does not put you down.  In fact, you put yourself down when you treat hijab as a heavy piece of cloth instead of feeling it as a natural part of who you are. And for Muslims who think the only way to melt in the western society is by dress like them, your dream is so small because no leader was ever a follower.  A leader is the one who stands differently in the crowd. People respect those who respect themselves.

And for my friends from other religions, I want to really thank you for your love and support. 

And for the ignorant, well may God bless your heart and lighten your soul with the truth one day.

The post Sky is no longer the limit for this hijabi Engineer appeared first on World Hijab Day.

I am me
This hijab shall always be a part of my identity
whether you like it or would rather rip it off my head
I’ll wear it anyway whenever I want even at night in bed

I have difficulties in life
just as any other person man, daughter, son or wife
My hijab isn’t a problem hon
I got 99 names to call Him upon
It is an opportunity to come closer to Him, my God
It is a way of expressing my love I don’t find that odd
if you been send out on a quest be patient and do your very best
and put your trust in Him whenever you get a test
This is the way I hope to free my soul of ego
I cover up to let the vanity of ‘me’ go

I wear them in all patterns, colors, and fabrics
I wear them in all styles
Whether going out for dinner or sporting at aerobics

If you think I’m being dumb, oppressed and thinking l don’t have confidence
It tells more about your insecurity and your intelligence
I know I’m being smart
I know what to do because I’m following my heart

Happy world hijab day to all you ladies whether you wear it or not
I’m not discriminating because you first should wear it in your heart
Don’t forget it is a lifestyle and attitude
live your own life just as you would
like in times of low and altitude
Wear it classy and chique
Your covering so don’t reveal too much and stay mystique
but don’t forget you are always unique.

Lots of love,

Faylasoufia S.
Sanae Ben Abdelouahab
[Actress in the Theaterplay ‘The Hijabi monologues’ in the Netherlands, it is a play which blows away all the stereotypes aspects of being an Europian born Hijabi (which is very rare for a hijabi to be an actress)]

The post 50 shades of hijab appeared first on World Hijab Day.

I was born in a Muslim family but if you knew how I lived my life as a teenager and as a young professional, I would probably be the last person you could ever imagine wearing the hijab. With that, I meant I used to join beauty pageants and fashion shows. I used to value the trends more than modesty in dressing.

When I was blessed with a child, I wanted to start life over. I suddenly wanted to wear the hijab! Ultimately, I knew I wanted to raise my son as a practicing Muslim. My wearing the hijab came as a shock to everyone, even to my own mother but she supported my decision anyway. My husband would proudly tell people that nobody forced me to wear the hijab and that it was out of my own free will.

Wearing the hijab brought me peace of mind, contentment, and self appreciation like I never felt before. I no longer feel like I have to follow the trends to be appreciated. After all, the only appreciation I must seek is from the Almighty and Merciful Creator.

The post From beauty pageant to full-time hijabi appeared first on World Hijab Day.

People say that hijaab comes when the ideology of a person changes or because he becomes devoted to his religion, but in my case, it was bit different. I started wearing hijab when one of my best friends challenged me to do so. This piece of cloth on my head turned out to be a very shocking news for the people around! I still remember the way everyone stared at me at parties, weddings, etc.

Although I felt awkward, the changing attitude of people towards me made me realize that I am different. And then, I, as a hijabi felt that it was my duty to become a better person anyway. As a hijabi, I represent Islam and I can’t have a bad image of Islam. I had to change. Although I tried my best to ward off every bad aspect of my personality, there are still some aspects I am bad at.

Being humans, we cannot be perfect but in a siege of trying to be BETTER, can make us a good person, is what I believe! Yes, I am not perfect… but hijab brought a good change in my life. It brought me something I had never thought of! As hijabis, we women face a lot of criticism in every part of world, however, this criticism is what makes us strong!

And now I have started taking this criticism as a compliment.

The post Turn criticism into compliment appeared first on World Hijab Day.

I don’t wear hijab. I practice hijab. My hijab reflects in my attire, behavior, and speech. It’s important to practice hijab, rather than make it a part of everyday apparel. It’s common to simply think of a headscarf when a woman states that she wears hijab. The reality is, men and women are under Islamic measure to practice hijab- which translates to “modesty.” It’s belittling to the beauty and grace of Islam to refer to hijab as only the head covering for women. Hijab, for men and women alike, is a blessing from our Creator. He has ordained the most effective way to protect ourselves from the haraam (forbidden things) that this dunya  (world) holds.

Appreciation of the context of hijab in its entirety will bring back the full beauty hijab gives to Muslim women and men. Alhamdulilah, I began to understand the concept of hijab about a year ago. InshaAllah, I hope to stay strong in my imaan (faith) and pray for nothing but sincere piety and faith for my brothers and sisters in deen (religion of Islam) around the globe.

The post Hijab is not only to be worn but practice it appeared first on World Hijab Day.

I have been wearing Hijab for approximately four years and I am proud to say “I am a hijabi!” At times, wearing the hijab was challenging and felt degrading to my confidence, but the few challenges that I faced made me bond stronger to my head scarf. Some may say “the head scarf is oppressing women!” But, let me tell you, as someone who is currently wearing the hijab, my head scarf makes me feel stronger and empowering; and I guarantee that other ladies who wear the hijab can say the exact same. Wearing the hijab, however, is not just covering our hair, it can be thought of as a verb. We act upon it everyday when we put a piece of fabric on our head and head out the door. We look up to our role model Marriam (Jesus’ beloved mother), and follow her footsteps by acting with kindness, acting with modesty, and acting with humility – just like the famous saying “kill them with kindness.

The post “Kill them with kindness” appeared first on World Hijab Day.