Hijabis on Campus

[Bent_Bladi]

From Newsweek -- Beliefwatch: School Veil

Nov. 13, 2006 issue - There's a new fashion on college campuses, but it's not one you'll find at Abercrombie any time soon. It's the higab, the traditional Muslim headscarf that denotes modesty and reverence to God, and it's being worn by increasing numbers of young Muslim American women. By most accounts, they are the American-born children of the estimated 4 million Muslims who immigrated to the United States over the last 40 years. The irony: many of those parents abandoned their Islamic cultural identities to assimilate into American society. "We're seeing more young women wearing the higab whose mothers don't wear it," says Hadia Mubarak, former president of the Muslim Students Association. Mubarak says that young Muslim Americans who grew up here are not facing the kinds of identity crises their parents did. "These kids are comfortable in their American identity because that's the only culture they've known, so it's easier for them to embrace the outward manifestations of Islam."

Spurred by a desire to express solidarity in the face of post-9/11 discrimination, young Muslim Americans are connecting with their Islamic heritage and embracing a religious culture many of them had known only secondhand. Henna Khan, whose parents emigrated from Pakistan and Kashmir in the 1970s, began wearing a higab just before her freshman year at UC, Berkeley, in 2003. "It's easier to put it on when you see other girls putting it on," says Khan, 21. "I was inspired by this whole American Muslim movement."

The trend comes amid a historic spike in anti-Muslim discrimination in the United States, and the higab has been the magnet for much of it. Since 9/11, hundreds of lawsuits have been filed over the right to wear higabs in the workplace and in photo IDs. "The higab is the walking symbol of Islam," says Council on American-Islamic Relations legal director Arsalan Iftikhar, who authored a report documenting nearly 2,000 cases of anti-Muslim discrimination in 2006.

The issue isn't limited to the United States. Tensions over head coverings are mounting across the Western world. In the U.K., former foreign secretary Jack Straw set off a firestorm when he said recently that veils are a statement of difference and set people apart. Khan doesn't see it that way. "Being an American and Muslim aren't two separate identities—we can be both at the same time," she says.

—Matthew Philips

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Isn't that amazing...

[Khokom]

Whats important now adays is not only the Hijab, but the mentality and how the girl views Islam as part of her life. The understanding behind hijab, whats the point from wearing hijab, what benefits does it bring, what behaviour goes along with it...etc.

Unfortunately, many young girls dont understand what the hijab is about, its not just a piece of cloth put over your head. Its the actions, the mentality, the modesty, the akhlaaq (manners), etc that go with it..... its about wanting to please none but Allah swt, Hijab is an act of worship, she would be worshipping Allah swt every second she wears it.... so there is a degree of respect that must be given to the Hijab

Its good to see more sisters wearing it, elhamdoulilah.

Khokom.

[nesreen]

i must say it is nice to be able to wear the hijab in the US , yes you might face attacks and racist remarks but you can do it . ( i read that an afgan woman Alia Ansari was shot because she was wearing a hijab , she left 5 kids )

In tunisia you are not allowed to wear it , it is an offense , forget it you wont be allowed at college . women are often dragged into police stations with the incriminating Evidence (Scarf ) yes it is happening in Muslim tunisia (even though i have read enough about how muslims they are . Bourgiba i remember used to tell them dont do ramadan if you cant do it , i dont. )

because of this program , shown on AL Jazeera, the tunisian Ambassador of Qatar has been called to Tunis . the Tunisian gov is outraged that al Jazeera covered this topic .