By Mariam Bint Salman Sayed
Top European Union court has ruled employers are allowed to ban employees from wearing the headscarf in the workplace. The ruling appeared after two women were asked to leave their jobs or ‘take off’ the hijab at their workplaces in Germany.
Instead of protecting and advocating for fairness, freedom of expression, the ruling sides with business corporations unwilling to allow Muslim women to express their religion. The racism in the judicial systems towards Islam and the continually alarming rulings do not protect the Muslim women in Germany who choose to wear the hijab. According to an official government survey, the Muslim population in Germany has risen to around 5.5 million.
Many sisters wear the hijab as it has a deep value behind it. The choice of wearing it is free, not forced… NEVER once has it been marked permissible to force a woman to wear it. No, we weren’t “abused” to wear it. You don’t have enough knowledge about the veil, but let me inform you. It’s a symbol of peace and power as well as protection and a reminder for me when my eeman (faith) is low; I recognize where I belong…
Women in hijab are capable of doing anything and everything that any other person can, and no one can change that. We excel in our careers and hold leadership positions in countless industries. We participate in sports, from the club level to professional. We’ve had hijabi olympians shatter stereotypes with their Olympic medals. We go to the beach dressed modestly and enjoy ourselves just as much as any other woman or man.
And having hijabi representation matters to young girls growing up, wishing to pursue various fields while practicing their faith.
France has been especially Islamophobic when it comes to this—barring Muslim women from wearing modest/full-coverage swimsuits to the beach. Nudist beaches can exist, but we can’t cover ourselves? Make it make sense!
When are we going to stop targeting the hijab when society has no issue with a Jewish kippah or a nun’s veil? If you’re Islamophobic, just say that. Don’t twist it into something else and put the blame on Muslim women. This is the reality of the Muslim world.
Oh Muslims! Stop calling for “The world” to speak up for us. It’s purely a Muslim issue. Let’s stand up for our rights and for every oppressed human being, or for a just cause irrespective of caste, creed, or religion for Allah has informed us that the Ummah of the Muslims is a witness to the mankind.