By Zara
I have grown up in an area where they weren’t many Muslims at all, from what I can remember from my childhood. The only Muslim family in the primary school I went to was my family. I started wearing Hijab (head scarf more precisely) at the age of 9. At first the children around me were curious as to why I wore a Hijab but never criticised it. By the time I was 11, the bulling kicked in. The other children around me started making small comments such as “Why are you wearing a curtain net?” When I started high school, the bullying got worse. Other pupils started tugging on my Hijab while laughing and made comments such as “You’re not allowed to wear hoodies in school” and “I know why you wear that. You’re hiding a bomb underneath it.” Nevertheless, I stayed strong and still carried on wearing the Hijab.
By the time I had reached the age of 15, the bullying had stopped but I still felt as if I was excluded because I wore a Hijab. I thought that maybe if I didn’t wear it, I would have more friends etc. But I was wrong. Wearing a Hijab doesn’t make people turn away from you. It’s their understanding of the Hijab that makes them turn away from you. When I moved to a different school, I made many friends quickly because the school was more diverse. The pupils there had grown up with more Hijabis in their school life. They understood the meaning of Hijab.
Having said this, the students that studied with me in my first year of University had different views. They thought that the Hijab was a symbol of oppression and tried to convince my that I would be happier if I let my hair loose. I understand it wasn’t their fault on what they believe. It was due to lack of education about the true meaning of Hijab.
I believe World Hijab Day to be a fantastic event as it allows people to understand the true meaning of Hijab worldwide. Worldwide awareness is essential when people lack education in subjects like this. People worldwide are encouraged to understand that Hijab is not a symbol of oppression but in fact a symbol of freedom. For me, Hijab is my freedom as it protects my modesty and prevents evil eyes from looking my way. It is a symbol of class, honour and dignity.