I Proudly Wear the Hijab, It’s a Sign of Strength and Empowerment
Revolutionising the narrative of the hijab
I was visiting London and was sitting on the tube when I noticed it. I’d seen that look before when visiting the West. It wasn’t a look of curiosity but a look of hate. I tried to look away, but I was drawn to the man drinking a beer on the train.
“What the f**k are you looking at, raghead?”
Growing up, I didn’t always wear the scarf. I wore it when it was time for prayers and special occasions and when it suited me to have my ears closed. I still only sometimes wear one. The decision to look more “obvious” with my beliefs isn’t one I worry about in my home country.
In my home country some women wear a Hijab, and others don’t. I chose when to wear it, but more often than not, I wear one when I leave the house. I have a choice. The world isn’t so black and white.
The worry is when I travel. I travel a lot. The itch to do so is insatiable, and before I know it, I’ve booked a flight. Travelling as a Muslim woman comes with different risks. Often, I chose my destination based on its tolerance towards Muslims. If a country has a bad reputation for intolerance, I decide not to wear the scarf. It’s my choice to be safe.
It’s not often that I experience verbal abuse. It’s the suspicious looks. It’s the stereotyping that I am a woman oppressed. It’s the conversations where people can’t find my eyes but can easily spot my scarf.
I was staying in a hostel in London in my early twenties on a scorching day. A white male traveller asked if I wanted to take my scarf off. I looked at his sweating, blushed face and smiled: “Yes, it is a bit hot: if you take your trousers off, I’ll take off my scarf.”
The ongoing issue — ironically driven by pro-hijab extremists — is making life harder for us. Iran’s state-sponsored violence against women who exercise their human right to refuse to wear the veil is not only evil but counterproductive. It serves only to reinforce those stereotypes that the scarf is a sign of oppression.
Yes, that oppression is undoubtedly true in Iran, but in most parts of the world, it’s women who decide whether or not to wear the hijab. The world really overstates the amount of control men have over Muslim women.
Islamic extremists might not like it, and the Islamophobes feed off their hatred, but Muslim women are becoming much more empowered. The way the world views us is changing. The hijab is becoming a statement of strength.
We’re not quiet. We’re loud and beautiful.
Our courage, tenacity, and resolve to occupy spaces in all aspects of society are a testament to our resilience. We are no longer prepared to lie about who we are just to be accepted.
Thank you for reading.
