My Hijab Stereotypes

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Precisely eighteen hours before my first day of college, I made a commitment to the hijab. Key word: “I”. A prevalent English definition of “hijab” is a traditional headdress covering the hair and neck worn by Muslim women. More befittingly, it is a scarf that covers my hair and neck, but it is my adherence to the principles of the hijab that encourage me to be a positive representation of my faith and warmly embrace the people of my community. Lamentably, I am often met with scowls and the occasional, “You know you do not have to wear that in America, sweetie.” I manage to smile and politely explain that it was me, myself, and I who put on the hijab, and I did it while living here, in the United States of America. Here, where my parents feared for my safety when I first walked out the door in my hijab. Here, where I was made to feel unsafe and unwelcome. Here, in my own home. Not Afghanistan. Not Syria. Not Somalia.
In regard to those who scowl, I often ponder if their prejudices trump the fact that my hijab is the reason why I am in good health today. Would they frown if they were made aware that the piece of viscose rayon on my head is the foremost cause of why I no longer count the calories in a stick of gum and deduct it from my daily budget of 250 calories? Would …show more content…

It is my sacred identity that allows me to feel a connection with refugee women from Nigeria to Pakistan before I open my mouth to greet them with, “Asalamu alakum.” It connects me to a sisterhood of women from all different parts of the world who have put on their hijabs for various reasons, all to the bewilderment of those who cannot fathom facing discrimination in return for personal freedom. I am free from the opinions of strangers as neither those who praise me nor condemn me can affect the way I view myself. This strength has come from my hijab, and I strive to inspire others to find their own strengths to lift them out of dire

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