Diverse opinions have spread on social media as February 1st approaches, marking the World Hijab Day. It's worth mentioning that the celebration of World Hijab Day began in 2013, initiated by Nazma Khan, a resident of New York State, USA, after facing numerous harassments and challenges due to wearing the hijab in America. Observers anticipate the participation of many women worldwide in commemorating its seventh year. The World Hijab Day organization, through its Facebook page, called for understanding religions and supporting interfaith understanding by inviting non-veiled women, both Muslims and non-Muslims, to wear the hijab, which is not exclusive to Islam but present in all divine scriptures, including the Torah and the Gospel. The mission of World Hijab Day is to create a more peaceful world, where citizens respect each other, while emphasizing the importance of combating racism, discrimination, and bias against women, as announced by the organization on its page.
Under the hashtag FreeinHijab, a campaign was launched, drawing significant participation from activists on social media platforms, while it was met with a counter-hashtag titled FreeFromHijab, advocating for the removal of the hijab and liberation from it. These hashtags sparked significant debate, between those advocating "Take off your hijab, faith lies in the heart and not in appearances," and the growing attempts to detach Muslim communities from any Islamic symbols and strip away anything that distinguishes them, whether through laws like in France or by calling for hijab removal unless convinced otherwise. In contrast, the "Don't Touch My Hijab" campaign is organized by French veiled women.
In Arabic, hijab means covering and preventing access to what is desired. In Islamic law, it refers to everything that covers a woman from walls, doors, or clothing, preventing men from seeing her beauty, in accordance with verses such as "And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts" and "And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition." The predominant opinion among jurists is the obligation of wearing Islamic attire for every adult, sane Muslim woman. This is supported by verses like "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments."
It was necessary to understand Muslim women's response to this attack and what wearing the hijab represents for them. Many hijab-wearing women have no issue with it and it doesn't hinder them from living their normal lives. This was affirmed by Lamia, a political science and administrative sciences graduate, who stated, "The hijab doesn't pose any obstacle for me... I can engage in many activities that non-hijabis do, such as sports and swimming." Moreover, it was not a hindrance for women and girls in Muslim countries to excel in various fields of specialization. In its true meaning, the hijab represents a dignified, self-assured Muslim woman who knows her purpose and path in life and strives diligently for everything beneficial for herself, her home, and her community, adorning all of this with her hijab and modesty. It's a system of chastity, generosity, and piety, presenting the best possible image of women, with the hijab being the frame that highlights and preserves it.
Regarding the obstacles she faced while working with the hijab in a European country, Heba stated that she faced some harassment at the beginning of her work in Germany, mentioning that she was rejected from working in a hospital there despite her competence. This made her wonder about the claims of respecting personal freedoms in the West. The condition for her to be accepted for work was to remove the hijab inside the hospital, which she refused, as she said. So, whoever claims that a woman's hijab is a restriction on her freedom and that it's an old tradition, and that it's the reason for a woman's backwardness and lack of success in life, and that it isolates her from the world and that Islam came to restrict women's rights, I say that the reality is completely the opposite, because Islam is the only religion that came to liberate women from slavery and from the demeaning view they want to return women to. Indeed, Allah is higher in status than a woman, liberating her from the shackles of ignorance, giving her the right to life, and increasing her honor and purity after being disgraceful. Her birth inherits humiliation, disgrace, and a shock that her father cannot speak about and cannot face people.
For those who claim that the hijab is the cause of the backwardness of Muslim women, Amal - a teacher - questions: was the departure of women in the West and their revealing attire the reason for their development, obtaining patents and inventions, and the progress of nations? Or are most of those who became famous among them just singers, actresses, and models, nothing more? Is this the level of dignity that Muslim women aspire to? Healthy nature shies away from exposing its physical and psychological flaws and cares about its modesty and privacy. Those who try to promote the removal of the hijab or reveal intimate parts and display the charms of a woman's body in front of men are trying to suppress human nature. Women, by nature, love modesty and chastity, but the media always tries to spread poison in young minds to undress them in the name of freedom. We must be vigilant through the clarification of religious concepts to preserve society. God said: "O children of Adam! We have sent down to you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best. That is from the signs of Allah that perhaps they will remember."
On the other hand, Mohannad - a university student - opined that the hijab represents the dignity and sensibility of women, but unfortunately, it's also regrettable the situation to which some hijabis have come. For some of the hijabis, the hijab has become simply putting something on their heads, but what is understood by hijab is the commitment of women to Islamic dress norms. However, this distorted image that some Muslim women have is rejected from a religious point of view. And the hardest thing is to see such manifestations in the homes of some scholars and pious people under the pretext of openness to the world and not closing in on themselves. Therefore, I believe it is necessary to raise awareness and guide these girls to return to the religious compliance imposed by clothing and not submit to what is said and to modesty in the way of walking, as mentioned in the Quran.
I started wearing the hijab before I turned twelve," said Abeer - a homemaker - "and my body was slim and small, appearing younger than my age. I won't hide from you that the decision to wear the hijab was the hardest decision I ever made in my life. Why? I'll tell you: the truth is, there isn't a woman in the world who doesn't love showing her beauty and charms. That's how God created her. The happiest moment in any woman's life is when she hears praise or admiration from those around her for her beauty and elegance. Therefore, when ordered to conceal this beauty, it's indeed a difficult test. But I placed my internal desire on one side of the scale and God's desire and command on the other. I stood in front of the mirror and said to myself: 'O God, I bear witness that I conceal my femininity and cover my beauty seeking Your pleasure.' Then I wore the hijab, happy and proud that I triumphed over my own evil inclinations and overcame my temptations. I executed the first divine command at that age and felt a radiant light emanating from my face while wearing the hijab. Here was the extremely difficult test, as I fought against everyone. I had to fight on two fronts: first, my family, which vehemently opposed my wearing it, and second, the entire society, which completely rejected a child wearing the hijab and saw it as excessive religiosity at a time when the hijab was not as prevalent as it is now.
Dr. Amjad Quraishi, in his speech honoring hijabi women, said: "Congratulations on wearing modesty in a time of decadence and temptations, which is much more than in our time. Congratulations on being obedient to God and God alone, as others think they are free but, practically, they are not, for they disobeyed God's command and surrendered themselves to another deity: their desires, by following French or Western fashion trends, and others. The hijab is not just an Islamic symbol or an Arab tradition; it's a divine command, a legal ruling, and a worship for which you will be rewarded. The hijab is a colloquial term and not a Quranic term. Therefore, we should say 'wearing the lawful dress: jilbab and khimar,' to cut off the extremists from mentioning the word 'hijab' in the Quran. The purpose is to preserve your privacy and comfort and to treat you based on your personality and humanity, not based on your body. God created man, and what most attracts him to a woman is her body. He is required to lower his gaze just as you are required to cover up. When you fail to fulfill this role, you become criminals before God.
In conclusion, I can only emphasize the importance of defending the hijab and wearing it in the proper Islamic manner. Let's remind ourselves of two things: first, the noblest question in life (Why am I alive?) We don't live to get married, to adorn ourselves, or to impress others, but to please our Lord, follow His command, rely entirely on Him, and therefore, we seek guidance in the apparent and hidden meanings of the hijab, and we live life as servants of God, seeking only His pleasure. The second thing that should occupy you is the opportunity to elevate yourself, develop your personality, and try to find answers to life's questions. When you do that, certainty will settle within you, and your soul will be enriched and fertile. Your personality will gain strength, attractiveness, and respect, and people will love you, gather around you, and a righteous young man will desire you as a wife and life partner and mother for his children because you are trustworthy, successful, and reassuring. The beauty of your soul and the tranquility of your spirit will reflect on your face, so you won't need makeup or external beauty enhancers.
