In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a Muslim. I’m a Unitarian Universalist. But I have worn a hijab on two occasions. Since I am not a Hijabi (which is a woman who wears a hijab), and have not experienced what it is like to wear a head scarf day in and day out, I cannot speak to that part of the issue. I’ve never experienced the heightened respect nor the prejudice that this simple piece of fabric can evoke. But I am a woman, so I will speak in that capacity.
Women wear the hijab for many reasons. The purest of which, in my opinion, is the voluntary wearing of the hijab due to one’s religious belief. I have complete and utter respect for this choice. If a Catholic woman can hold a rosary, then a Muslim woman has the very same right to wear a hijab.
Other women simply wear it as a fashion statement. And I have to agree that there is something quite beautiful and even ethereal about a woman in a hijab. I imagine that it makes people look at you differently. Those without prejudice have to see you for you, and not be distracted by your exterior. That appeals to me greatly. I get so tired of constantly being compared to other women. In that scenario, someone is bound to be found wanting, and just as often as not, it is me. This can be quite draining. Unfortunately, prejudiced people will not see you for you at all. They ONLY see the scarf and make assumptions, quite often political ones, from there. This is not a reflection on the Hijabi. This is evidence of the ugliness in the prejudiced person’s soul. I firmly believe that a woman should have a right to wear whatever she chooses.
The two occasions when I wore a hijab were both during visits to mosques in Istanbul, Turkey. I did so happily, and out of respect. I was well aware that I was a visitor in a place of worship, and as such I had absolutely no problem complying with their rules of proper etiquette. I must say I was surprised at the instant difference I felt within myself. I was calmer, and I felt more reflective. I also felt more formally beautiful, which was a nice feeling indeed.
Me at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
Regrettably, there are also negative reasons for wearing a hijab. I was listening to a radio show called BBC’s World Have Your Say today, and the topic was World Hijab Day. Many women called in to discuss the positive reasons for wearing the head scarf, but a lady called in from Egypt who said that many women there wear the hijab in public simply to avoid sexual harassment. Some people do believe that men cannot control themselves and therefore the women must cover up. I find this to be tragic. I think it underestimates men and causes women to live in fear. In countries where the hijab is not common, you don’t regularly see women being attacked in the streets, so men can be civilized, especially in an atmosphere where respect is expected of them. In places where laws are not enforced, sadly, mob rule often takes over. That is the nature of humanity, and it’s heartbreaking to contemplate.
On the most extreme end of the spectrum you have women in fundamentalist areas, such as Iran, who are forced to wear the hijab. You can actually be jailed in Iran for not doing so. I think the Iranian government is making a very drastic mistake by doing this. Forcing something upon any person, man or woman, will simply encourage rebellion in their hearts. It will not make someone want to be a devout Muslim. It will simply engender depression, resentment, suicide and every other thing besides spirituality. In my opinion, in situations like these the beautiful and religious and modest hijab has been warped into a tool of control and imprisonment. It is the very opposite of faith and therefore the worst type of violation.
So, if I see you on the street and you are wearing a hijab, I must apologize in advance for staring at you. I’m not doing it for negative reasons. I’m not looking at you as a freak. In fact, I most likely think you’re beautiful. Chances are I’m just wondering about you and your motivations, and hoping, for your sake, that they are pure and positive and liberating, not dark and negative and repressing. I want only good things for you, and wish you well.
So should I care that it’s World Hijab Day? Yes, indeed, and for more reasons than one might imagine on the surface. This is a deep and complex issue that needs more exposure, if you’ll excuse the pun.
The View from a Drawbridge 
ummmmmm… I almost bought a Captain Jack Sparrow hat when we were at Disneyland…
To each his or her own. Which is the whole point of this entry.
It was the first story I could think of about putting something on my head…
happy to read a non Muslim actually thinks about hijab.
you talked about listening to BBC and about some Egyptian woman who was saying that there hijab is a means to escape sexual harassment. you think the problem is NOT THAT SERIOUS but i would ask you to try and read about the current situation in India. women are literally scared of going out of their homes, forget about work. many were brutally attacked and even killed. this is an ongoing situation and basically hijab is the first line of defense against such attacks.
hijab is not a means of oppression as is portrayed about nations like Iran. let me ask you, how many rapes happen every minute in the “free world” nations? 10, 50? 100?
then look the same stats in like Iran and what would you see?
the answer is in front of you.
dress code is always based on some ground rules set by years of trial and error to make the people lives better. Iran makes hijab compulsory for all women because they want to protect them. nothing else.
Thank you so much for your feedback! It’s a very interesting comment. I’m so sorry you got the impression that I didn’t think the situation related to sexual harassment is not that serious. In fact, I think it’s extremely serious, and extremely tragic. No one should be raped. I simply can’t relate to thinking that the view of someone’s hair will incite a man to rape. I think that rather than make women cover up and look the other way when men commit crimes, the way to go is to legally punish rapists to the fullest extent of the law. Even if a woman walks down the street naked (not that I recommend it or condone it), she should not be raped. There is no circumstance when rape is okay. None. And when I heard about the poor girl in the bus in India, I cried. I was just saying I find it sad that the hijab, which is a beautiful way to demonstrate one’s religious beliefs, has to be turned instead into a barrier against sexual violence. Thank you so much for your comment! I’d love to hear more from you. I want to learn other viewpoints. I am no expert on this subject, believe me.
I would like to know more, however, about your thoughts on making the hijab compulsory in Iran. If they really are doing it to protect women, why do they jail them if they do not comply? Jails, regardless of the country, are the most unsafe places on earth. That makes no sense to me at all.