About 4 years ago, I met the kindest and warmhearted woman and her Muslim family so that was my introduction into what World Hijab Day (WHD) is.  Ever since then, I have felt strongly about supporting and honoring her and her fellow sisters for their freedom of choice.  Ever since, I have been educating myself about Islam and realized I was as ignorant as the news media had programed us to be when we saw hijab wearing women and thought they were suppressed and submissive.  We take their acts that appear to be submissive when in fact they are a peaceful people and feel it is not their right to antagonize or incite conflict.  Anyway, I forever wish peace for my friend Fatima and her family.

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My first World Hijab Day experience was in 2014, so I was really looking forward to wearing a headscarf on February 1, 2015. There was just one problem: that was a Sunday and I am a devout Mormon (Christian). I didn’t feel it was wrong to wear hijab to church for a day, but I was concerned that it might upset others in my congregation. So, a few days before WHD, I posted about it in our congregation’s Facebook group. I posted a link to the WHD website and said, “this is why I will be wearing a headscarf in church on Sunday.” My hope was to prevent causing a disruption, because most of the congregants would not need to ask me about it during the service.

Well, one of the first comments was from a man who strongly disagreed. He felt my membership should be in jeopardy if I wore hijab to church. He felt that I was making a political statement and protesting our church leaders. After that, there was a lengthy conversation back and forth with most congregants supporting my decision. They cited scriptures from the Bible about it being appropriate for women to cover their heads during services. They talked about historical examples of Catholic and Baptist women covering their heads in church. I felt strengthened in my decision and resolved to wear the hijab, even to my Mormon church service.

As I walked into the church building, a man from another congregation (we share our building) greeted my husband and myself as if we were not members. He assumed we were not Mormon. It happened that we ended up sitting right next to the one man who was so against me wearing hijab to church. I felt bad about it. I did not dislike the man. I respect that he had a different opinion and at least he was honest about it. I didn’t want to upset him or disrupt his worship. I still wonder what he thought as he saw me during our services. Was his heart softened? Did he realize that wearing hijab on the outside didn’t change who I was on the inside? Did he start to think that there is more to Muslims. They are human beings too and its not just about clothing choices etc? I hope so.

At the very least, I was overjoyed that the discussion spread the word and knowledge of World Hijab Day. There are at least 100 Mormons who now know more about hijab and that the practice is part of Christian faith as well because of my participation in WHD. One woman at church said this to me, “last week I told my neighbor about you wearing a headscarf, and my neighbor started to say ‘Muslim women are so oppressed, the men force them to wear those.’ And I corrected my neighbor. I told her, ‘Actually, no, Lorelei says that the women choose to wear it and it makes them happy.'” I felt very glad inside to know that slowly, one person at a time, World Hijab Day is increasing understanding and building bridges between Muslims and non-Muslims. Thank you so much to all who are involved in the wonderful WHD Movement!

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When I put on the hijab and covered up, I wasn’t spending my day worrying about what I looked like. It gives you a sense of confidence that you can only gain through learning to appreciate yourself for more than just your physical appearance. It makes you feel secure in a way that is very difficult to explain. I felt confident about who I was as a person because I knew that’s what people were going to judge me on when I covered up – all they knew about me was based on my eyes, my facial expressions, and the words I said. There was something very empowering about that.

The hijab, for me, now represents something a lot more than just a piece of cloth used to cover your head. It stands firmly as a symbol of equality. A symbol for women who choose not to let men judge them based on their appearances, but rather, forces them to see women for the people they are on the inside. It gives women a sense of value, it gives women a sense of strength, and it allows women to be in control of the way anyone else sees them. In my opinion, that is one of the strongest messages of equality you could send.

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Thanks to my dear friend Faouziya, I learned about and participated in my first World Hijab Day. It was a wonderful and eye opening experience! I received a few stares at the grocery store, however the majority of people I encountered were kind and acted normally towards me. The biggest difference I experienced was that when I spoke to people, they looked me in the eyes rather than at my body. It made me feel confident and beautiful inside and out. I live in Nebraska which is in the middle of the United States, and am Jewish. I feel that it is important to celebrate and respect both our similarities and differences as human beings, no matter what religion.

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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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I am a Pagan woman, and I do not usually cover my hair, although I have within the context of ceremony, at those times it has made me feel closer to my ancestors and the womyn who have walked the path before me. I participated in world hijab day as an ally to my muslim sisters around the world, and it was a profound experience for me! I found that I stopped worrying about “checking” my hair and how I looked, I felt more secure and able to just interact without worrying about how did I look. I never realized just how much energy I wasted checking myself in the mirror, or fussing with my hair. I think wearing hijab is a wonderful way to combat negative body image/beauty culture that we internalize as women.
Blessed be.

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I have always been very open minded and tolerant of the beliefs of others. My daughter did not participate in world hijab day, but she did ask me about it. It was an honor to explain to her that many religions call for women to cover their heads, and that today I’m wearing a hijab to support the women who choose to wear them daily and are judged unfairly because of it.

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It was an amazing experience to ‘walk in someone else’s shoes’ and to be part of a movement that is creating a better understanding about Islam. I didn’t face any discrimination during the day but I know how my Muslim sisters suffer on a daily basis.

The headscarf is the reason why some of them are labeled as terrorists when the only thing they want is to live their lives in peace. The headscarf is the reason why some of my friends are denied jobs, even when they’re talented and skilled professionals. The headscarf is also the reason why they’re criticized for wearing it to school, even though they’re there to get an education just like all the other students.

The headscarf is a piece of clothing and just a piece of clothing doesn’t define who you are.

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I was born into a relatively conservative Christian home and consider that as my Faith of choice. However, when I came upon an advertisement on Facebook for World Hijab Day, seemingly by chance, I decided to participate. I think Islam is a beautiful religion with beautiful people when practiced as it is meant to be (with love rather than hate), which can be said for nearly all religions, truth be told. In any case it was a very humbling, freeing, and eye-opening experience.

I worked hard today and was told I could not wear a scarf unless it was for religious reasons. I assured them it was. It certainly was not for fun or a bad hair day! As a Christian, I support all my sisters, especially those in my fellow Abrahamic Faiths. Only a little less than a century or so ago, we were held to the same standards, after all! In any case, this spoke to me deep within, a need or something. I took it very seriously and found myself more conscientious about what I said and how I carried myself. Given this, I have decided to wear it not just today (Feb. 1st), but all this week and perhaps beyond. I am sort of in a middling place right now and this feels right.

I hope my words have not caused offense, or that it seems as if I am simply “experimenting” lightly and not taking this to heart. I assure you I am. I am well aware there are many Muslims, Jews and Conservative Christians/Catholics who make a choice not to wear a traditional scarf as their laws encourage. My admiration and love for them is no greater or less. I believe we all have our own paths to travel and there is only One who can know our hearts and judge if we are wrong. Peace to all of you. Thank you for the opportunity.

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