Hijab is a sign of suppression

It is JUST a piece of cloth. But that piece is powerful enough to convey a message.

I was born and raised in a Muslim community. My sisters go out of the house with a piece of cloth in their heads we call hijab. They go to school, workplace, and shopping malls with it, and no one practically cares. In our small community, what is fashionable is hijab not miniskirts nor fancy hair styles. All believing women wear it rain or shine, even when the heat becomes quite unbearable. But in a country where the Muslim community is a minority, there still exists discrimination against hijabi (women who wear hijab) in some parts of the country and in larger extent all around the globe.  

There is a saying that you fear what you don’t know. People who never encountered a hijabi in their entire life is often confronted with prejudice when they meet one. Perhaps the most known is hijab being a sign of suppression.

One ordinary night, I had a discussion with a Non-Muslim friend who is from a country which according to him has no Muslim even a single one.  He knows about Muslims and Islam, only that his sources were from biased TV networks. What do you expect from the West who is trying to destabilize the Muslim Ummah to the naïve people through spreading disinformation? One of his concerns was the hijab and his belief is crystal clear: Hijab is a sign of suppression and women who wear it do not have freedom. Seeing women dressed up like that came a major shock when his definition of fashion is: More skin is sexier. I felt the obligation to at least correct this obvious misconception and sought help of another friend.

I and my Pakistani friend mustered all our convincing power to eliminate our friend’s untoward opinion about hijab. We relied on various methods from logical explanation to analogies. Contrary to his claim, hijab in reality is an expression of freedom and strength. Believing women choose to cover their hair and their body because of piety and obedience to their Lord. It is freedom from the corrupt society who only see women as a sex symbol. In some parts of the world, some women were discriminated, humiliated, and in some cases physically abused because they wear hijab. But they never turned in, in fact these barbaric reactions toward a seemingly appropriate clothing encouraged them more to wear hijab every single day. They are a woman of strength indeed.

When he kept on trying to discredit our explanation and expressed his want of “real” rationale, we relied on analogies and story. First: There are two identical twin sisters – equally beautiful, equally attractive – walking along a bad neighborhood where a thug say a rapist is eagerly waiting his victim. The twins were dressed differently. One is a pious Muslim wearing hijab with non-tight fitting clothes that doesn’t show her figure whereas the other twin wears a miniskirt and the usual more-skin-revealed top. We asked, “Who do you think will most likely be raped?” Hijab in fact is a protection from bad elements and harm lurking in ill motives-infested society.

He asked, “Why man cannot shake hand, hug, or initiate any physical contact with Muslim women?” I replied with another question, “Can you shake hand with Queen Elizabeth?” We know that no ordinary person can shake hand with the queen nor hug her or initiate any physical contact. Similarly, Muslim women are like a queen. After several associations, he still doesn’t understand why Muslim women wear they way they do.

Now I moved on to the most precious jewel on Earth – Diamond – to use it as tool to make my point crystal clear. “Suppose you’ve got the world’s most precious diamond in your possession but all around you may potentially cause you harm. What do you do?” I asked. He answered that he will hide the diamond. “Uhmm… in the toilet,” he responded. Toilet is not at all illogical since robbers will unlikely think that you hide a precious jewel in that place. In normal scenario, anyone tends to protect anything they consider precious even it may mean hiding it. 

Likewise, women occupy an important value in the Muslim world. Not because they cover their body means they are of less value or less of a woman. Would you consider a diamond in a well-protected jewel box less of a diamond over those you see in jewel store in display?

In an effort to eradicate misinformation and to increase understanding about hijab, the 2^nd World Hijab Day was commemorated on February 1, 2014. On that day, Non-Muslim and Non-Hijabi Muslim women worldwide observed Hijab for a day to give them the experience of what it feels like to step inside the shoes of a hijabi. (For more information, click here)

My friend may still be harboring ill views regarding hijab and Islam at large. But I would never be weary explaining to him the same thing over and over again until he understands it. May Allah grant him understanding. Happy World Hijab Day!