Obviously, as my picture on Newsstreak shows, I wear the hijab, or the Islamic head scarf. Also obvious, is that when you cover something, you don’t want people to see it. So, this is the answer for people who have asked to see my hair: NO.

For those of you who don’t know what hijab is, you might be asking yourself why I cover my hair in the first place. In Islam, my religion, it is obligatory for both men and women to show modesty. For women, wearing the scarf is the way one shows modesty. Hijab also has a much deeper meaning that goes against the misconception that Muslim women are oppressed. Not only does wearing hijab mean that us Muslim women are being modest, but it is also a way for us to show self respect.

It seems that nowadays especially, people think they can decide for others what is pretty and what is not. It’s not that beauty itself is being picky, its people who think they have the authority or the right to decide what beautiful is. Wearing the hijab to many Muslim women is an objection to conform to that image. It’s a way to say that woman don’t have to be half naked or chained down with society’s view of “prettiness”, because after all, it’s not your hair that makes you beautiful.

Hijab has rules though, that don’t necessarily have anything to do with a woman’s physical appearance, because again, hijab does not only focus on what someone looks like on the outside only. To be a true Hijabi (woman who wears hijab), you should try to act respectful. For example, you don’t be mean or rude to others, you don’t stare at people, you’re honest, you work hard, and so on. Self respect is a big thing in hijab, because it teaches women how to love themselves without having to fit what society thinks is pretty. This also helps women emotionally as they grow older so that they don’t feel ashamed of their not so hot bodies and don’t feel the pressure to look 20 when they are really 50.

So basically, hijab is a way for women to feel comfortable with their selves and their bodies without having people judge them. It also makes woman more valuable to society as a mind and personality not as eye candy. Also, hijab is not cultural, it’s a religious obligation, though it should not be forced upon women by others. There’s also a difference between hijab and the full body veil that many people associate with Muslim women. That bodily veil is cultural, and is not a required in Islam. Muslim women most definitely don’t wear the hijab to feel oppressed, but to feel confident in the way people portray them. Hijab, to most Muslim women, is an objection to society’s restrictions on beauty, and not an oppressive article of clothing. So next you see me, or any other hijabi, don’t think that her dad beat her into wearing it, it’s because she’s got attitude!