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 would be the first time where I actually stood up for a cause that I believed in 100%. I am born a Muslim yet the essence of Islam I have begun to grasp only recently. I have grown up in Saudi Arabia and came to India for my graduation in 2011. Believe me when I say this, there is a gross amount of ignorance amongst the Muslims themselves regarding the hijab.

I did this small [World Hijab Day] campaign in my college campus. Being a Sunday was relatively less crowded but the experience has been life changing. I stood in areas where people would come by more, and most just passed us with barely a glance, Muslims included. In fact, one of them was a hijabi herself and yet refused time for us. This isn’t surprising, given that people here have an ‘everything goes’ attitude. Some of them started their own discussion instead of approaching us directly.

Yet all hope was not lost. People slowly started coming up to us and asking us what a hijab was about and what the world hijab day was. An incredible response with some girls voluntarily asking to wear the hijab and get their pictures clicked for this awareness program. Slowly but steadily, through awareness programs and lectures and education, I believe we can help people acquire tolerance for one another, which is so crucial right now in our times. An initiative like this is truly commendable. Thanks for celebrating the hijab!

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World Hijab Day marks a beautiful, new beginning to a more enlightened spiritual journey for me.
I have never worn a Hijab before this moment. As a Christian, my hijab represents a stand for true beauty and modesty. It also represents a connection with millions of women around the globe who share that same sentiment. Without shared experiences, we cannot gain a suitable perspective of similarities amongst us; we become immune to valuable relationships and prone to disregard and misconceptions. Wearing a Hijab reflects a lifestyle of dignity, modesty, and honor–I love that! As I discover more truth about Islam and myself, I’m filled with joy as I stand here in unity holding (virtual) hands with you. My Hijab is reshaping me into a more whole person and it is the truest reflection of who I am. As an engineer in a large corporation, one can lose herself quite easily in the hustle of climbing the corporate ladder–my Hijab reminds me that my identity is deeper than beauty or even intelligence.
Thank you for the opportunity to share the World Hijab Day experience. Thank you for sharing truth.
I love my Hijab.

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I’m a Mormon who participated in World Hijab Day 2/1/2014. Upon putting the hijab on, I felt secure, protected & worth something more than being an object to a man. The Mormon & Muslim faith have similar standards in modesty & morality. So when I donned the hijab, it didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I am now a “Mormon, Non-Muslim Hijabi”! I wear this head covering whenever I am out in public without my husband to keep strange men from looking at me. When I take pictures, I choose to veil myself! It’s been a month since WHD but I’m still wearing the hijab. Hijab isn’t just for Muslims but for all women of different faiths! Jews, Catholics, Amish, etc…Thank You for this awareness! I’ve received much support from family & friends. Please feel free to follow me on Instagram to see what my daily life is like! God Bless & best of health to all! http://instagram.com/stephanygoodwin11

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My names is Fawn and I am a US Navy Veteran. I support World Hijab Day because every woman in the world deserves to choose to be who she is not matter the religion, race, creed or color! Love and understanding what should make the world go round.

It was hard to wear the hijab in my little town, mostly because there is not much tolerance for the different here. I found that most people were polite but stand offish unless they knew me. Strangers drive past me almost wrecked their car looking at me. I am not sure why, but the positive me says that thought me scarf was pretty. (or maybe the giant red coat I wear)

As for how I felt wearing the hijab “I LOVED IT”. It was so comfortable and it really did wonders for my confidence. I often go through life wondering if people notice me. Let me tell you there is no hiding in a hijab. You have to have confidence in yourself and how you look and who you are to feel comfortable and when I put it on I did.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part in this wonderful event!

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It was an honor to walk side by side my Muslim friends who are part of my life for 30 years. My best friend is Muslim and nothing can change the way I feel about her. And what I feel is love, true friendship, support in every bad moment I had in my life. And we had it all…good times and bad times. Wearing Hijab I felt proud cause I was one of them. Every Christian knows that we must give love and understanding for all our sisters and brothers around the world. My sisters are Muslims, and I love them truly.  Religion, nationality or color are not important if we all stand together. My sisters showed the whole world they are proud wearing Hijab cause it’s the way they live. It is their choice and everyone should know and respect that.

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I strongly recommend this [World Hijab day] experience.  It truly is humbling. One of the greatest experiences I have had is a hijab last February. I wore it to see how my friend Salma Rah and all the other women feel when they wear their hijab. At first, I was nervous about it. What will it feel like? What happens if I get laughed at? But what I did not expect to get was the anger my mother expressed at my appearance. That single emotion proved the experiment worthwhile. “Why would you wear that? You are Christian?” I told my friend had asked me to wear a hijab to support the women who wear it and are getting abused because they do.

Wearing a Hijab is the easy part, being out in the world and seeing the reaction is the hard part. Honestly, I almost took it off when classmates laughed at me. But I persevered and told them I was supporting my friend and women who wear a hijab on a daily basis that suffer abuse from people who don’t understand. It is a great way to walk in my friend’s shoes.

Thank you for asking me to understand.

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