World Hijab Day (WHD) is an annual event in its fifth year. On February 1st of every year, WHD asks global citizens of all faiths to observe Hijab (head-covering) for a day in solidarity with Muslim women worldwide.
The overall mission of WHD is to create a more peaceful world where global citizens respect each other. Particularly, WHD focuses on fighting bigotry, discrimination, and prejudice against Muslim women. This is most crucial in these times where Hijab is being banned in some countries while in other countries, Muslim women are being targeted and harassed verbally and physically.

Below are some of the shocking but true headlines:

Muslim Women Have Been Attacked at Multiple Colleges Since Trump Won (Vice)
Queens Muslim Woman 19: Pair Yelled Remove Hijab (NY Daily News)
Muslim High School Teacher Told Hang Yourself With Hijab (NY Daily News)
Muslim Girl’s Hijab Ripped Off in Front of Students (Times of India)
UW Bothwell Investigating Possible Hate Crime Against Muslim Women (Seattle Times)
California Woman Robbed Called Hijab-Wearing B* (NY Daily News)

New York State assemblyman David Weprin issued an endorsement of World Hijab Day stating: “With hate crimes against Muslim-Americans tripling in 2016, it is important we take this moment to stand together with our fellow Americans on World Hijab Day. Rooted in the American principles of religious freedom and liberty, the World Hijab Day movement seeks to end the discrimination and judgment that comes with wearing a hijab.”

Nazma Khan, a New York native, initiated this global movement with the intent of bringing awareness on a subject that’s very dear to her and millions of Muslim women across the globe. While growing up in NYC, she was harassed both physically and emotionally on numerous occasions. The presence of such discrimination heightened around 9/11 because of her human right to wear the hijab. Her purpose was to introduce her pain to others in hopes that no one will ever have to go through the emotional trauma simply because of the love they have for their faith. Consequently, on February 1st, 2013, she asked her fellow sisters of all faiths across the globe to don the hijab for one day.  Within eight days, she got responses from women residing in 67 different countries that represented a conglomerate of religious backgrounds, to include Christians, Jewish, Pagans, Wiccans, Rastafarians, Buddhists, Atheists etc. WHD gave an opportunity to citizens worldwide who were not familiar with the Islamic faith to open up dialogues with their Muslim neighbors, co-workers, and friends.  Additionally, WHD presented an opportunity for teachers to understand why their Muslim students wear the hijab. It also provided non-Muslim mothers a chance to better understand their daughter’s faith and the decision to wear hijab. The negative perception on hijab allowed people to act upon their fears and hurt innocent women without a real and existing threat.  WHD simply presented an opportunity for everyone to learn about hijab and its importance in the Islamic faith without perpetuating the negative generalizations in today’s society.

WHD has thousands of volunteers worldwide and 70+ WHD Ambassadors from over 45 countries. WHD Ambassadors come from all walks of life from a high school student to a Congresswoman in the Philippines. Last year alone, 150 countries partook in WHD. In addition to that, WHD has been endorsed by many world renowned individuals including scholars, politicians, and celebrities worldwide. WHD was covered in mainstream news media including New York Times, BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera, Huffington Post, etc to name a few. Recently, Time Magazine listed World Hijab Day in their world calendar, The Year Ahead 2017. It is estimated 190 countries will take part in WHD’17.

“I participated in World Hijab Day and it was a good experience that I will repeat. I live in a very small, very Christian town.  There were some strange looks and people were staring at me – and then looking away quickly when they realized I saw them looking. A few people seemed surprised that I spoke English. The fact that I was wearing hijab gave me the opportunity to talk to my step children about respect, difference, and peace.” (Talya Leodari -Jewish, USA)

We must STAND for Muslim women’s right to cover. There are many ways to show your solidarity.
*Attend the WHD event on Facebook and invite your friends: https://www.facebook.com/events/357711751248489
*Observe Hijab on Feb. 1st, 2017
*Use the hashtags: #IStand4Hijab and #WorldHijabDay
*Organize a WHD event in your community.
*Send emails or letters to local Mosques/religious congregations showing your support.
*Write letters to local officials about protecting Muslim women’s right to cover.

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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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I have converted to Islam only recently . The first thing I decided was to observe my veil. I have faced a lot of discrimination because of it. I have lost my job and heard many bad things. I have been called out disparaging names  like “bomb woman” and a “terrorist.” I have always replied with a smile and invited everyone who criticized me to know more about Islam.

My veil is my pride, my crown . It is a vital part of my identity now. It is the proof of my submission to God. I believe it to be the most beautiful way to tell the world that there is a precious gem hidden within each woman that should be cared for, protected, and loved . May Allah facilitate our way and always help us to wear our hijab freely. Alhamdulillah, I AM A MUSLIM.

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Born in an Islamic conservative town and a religious family, we grew up believing and understanding that Hijab is a duty that is for our very best. I wore it at the age of 12. I’m 25 now. As I grew older and worked in a technical field (computer engineering), I blended in with different societies. I could see how some people looked down upon me and others never took my work seriously and refused to hire me after the first interview. At first I didn’t understand it was related to my Hijab, until some were rude enough to explicitly say it.

It never put me down! I pity them for their shallow racist minds.

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I participated in World Hijab Day today because I am a firm believer in the right for each and every woman to express herself, regardless of what faith background she is or is not from, without condemnation. I am a Mennonite (Christian), and am so blessed to have been exposed to many different faith backgrounds over the course of my life. I was blessed with the chance to work in a refugee resettlement program for a little while and worked alongside many amazing Muslim men and women. I will never forget their dedication and their compassion for other people.  It made a huge impact on my life and continues to inspire me towards becoming a better person.

We are all walking along this path, so we may as well hold hands and try to figure it out together.

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I was born and raised as Catholic. I am now a revert to Islam, Alhamdulillah. I started wearing my hijab in October of last year and I never removed it since then. At first it was tough, my family and friends were not very accepting of it, but sooner they respected my decision and accepted it.

Our purpose can be reflected even in the clothes we choose to wear. If our intention is to please Allah when we choose our dress, that action in itself becomes an act of worship. Hence, the very choice of one piece of clothing over another is an act of worship in Islam. Many people refer to hijab as a “personal choice”. Yes. It is a personal choice. It is a personal choice to submit to God rather than the fashion of the society. It is a choice to be beautiful to God rather than to people. And it is a choice to cover and dignify the body Allah gave you rather than give in to a culture that encourages women to be sex objects who sell their bodies like market beer.

However, hijab should not just be seen as a cloth one puts on the head. Rather hijab is a symbol of our worship and servitude to God. It is a symbol of modesty, that is not just about our attire or physical appearance. It extends to our whole demeanor, actions, ideas and character.

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I reverted to Islam 2 years ago after being raised Catholic and being an Atheist for most of my life. I started to wear hijab when I was learning about Islam. I went permanent with it after I reverted. I love hijab because I feel like I share the purest version of myself with it and only my husband gets to enjoy the most intimate parts of my body. I have a complete control of who gets to see whichever parts I allow of my body. I feel most beautiful in hijab because I feel like my true soul shines through and I don’t have to display my bosoms, wear make up, or show off my figure to prove that I’m a valuable person. I never knew that I could feel so comfortable and beautiful until I started to wear hijab. Modesty is the most underrated form of beauty.

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It is in our nature to protect our bodies.  So what is the problem if a woman adds just one more piece of clothing besides regular outfit, a headscarf? I believe there is no reason to refute it.  It gives such confidence and pushes you harder to put more effort because you need to be twice as better in order to prove that you, according to Islam, have no choice but to be good to yourself and others. You ought to be as much visible with the good deeds as with hijab.

What matters the most is our purpose and intentions. We believe and intend to influence positively with our moral, intellectual, and practical values as we, like many others, strive to be the best inhabitants of this world. So support us to harvest our ideas in a way that we feel most comfortable with and that includes our way of dressing too (i.e. the hijab).

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The principle motive of wearing the Hijab being modesty and chastity, a few added benefits are noted in favor of us modern day Hijabis, a few of them being listed below:

1. Don’t leave anything to chance: Bad hair days? Not anymore!

2. Open new windows to change: Afraid to experiment with your hair? You can try whichever style you wish on it and people won’t question your mental stability. Never fear.

3. Early morning blues: Trouble waking up after a late night movie? Save those extra couple of hours you spend brushing, combing and styling your hair.

4. On a tight budget?: At least you save on spending for hair and ear accessories.

5.  Pimple problems: A headscarf turns out to be ridiculously handy during those awkward phases when one develops zits on the side of their face or lower chin, no joke.

6. Those looks of envy you get when the rest of your class is required to wear a hair-net on that field trip where a risk of loose hair cannot be taken. Priceless.

7. Without that constant fear of hair sticking out at weird angles or going frizzy, there is a considerable boost to one’s confidence. True story.

8. Salvage fail: Can’t find the perfect hair accessory to suit that new dress? No worries, basic black suit next to every color.

9. Nap time maneuver: know those times when you fall asleep in class? with the proper seating posture and a bit of luck, a headscarf provides substantial cover without it ending up looking too suspicious.

10. Stealth mode: Spot someone you’d rather not meet at the moment? Just keep a pair of large sunglasses ready and Voila, go incognito in a matter of minute.

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