Anna Nichols
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“It allows me to focus on my insides when I’m not so worried about the outsides. I feel like there’s so much pressure on women to look a certain way, to dress a certain way, to fit certain body types, fashion trends and stuff like that. I’m personally working on myself to be a better version of me so the hijab protects me from those distractions and allows me to look inwards.” “I always find a Muslim community anywhere I go. I’m walking here freshmen year on the streets and someone goes ‘oh you’re Muslim! Salaam-Alaikum,’ and they can recognize me because I wear a scarf. I find a huge Muslim community here. There’s always someone willing to help me because even though we come from completely different cultures, we still have that unifying factor of Islam, so it’s beautiful to always be able to make connections no matter where I travel. I do a lot of internships and everywhere I go I find a Muslim community and the only way they recognize me is because I wear a scarf.” -- Jalang Conteh, MSU human biology senior
Anna Nichols
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“When I was young, I had very empowered female role models and I always saw it as a way to empower myself because you kind of took yourself out of context of beauty standards which really helped as a young woman growing up in this society where you’re definitely valued for your body and your sexuality. When you kind of take that away, you’re able to then grow as an individual. “It’s super quick, literally in the morning I do not need to worry about anything, I put it on, I run out. It’s part of my identity now. Being able to commit to my values so outwardly is actually nicer than you expect.” --Sumaya Malas, MSU James Madison student
Anna Nichols
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“I don’t wear the hijab because I practice modesty in a different sense. In Islam, women do have a choice in terms of covering their head or not, but the main concept of hijab in Islam is to practice modesty. That’s especially for women and men as well. For me I don’t cover my head, but I do cover my body.” --Zunerah Syed, MSU senior
Anna Nichols
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“For me personally, I feel empowered when I wear it because it forces people to judge you by your character and not by the way you dress or the way you look. I feel like it makes you much more honest and true to yourself.” --Malak Aldasouqi, MSU James Madison freshman
Anna Nichols
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“I personally wear it because it’s an obligation from my Lord, so I wear it to fulfill those obligations from him and also because it’s a protection barrier to me. It’s just something that I grew up knowing I would eventually have to cover my hair, that’s why I wear it now. I’m not permanently wearing it, I’m still practicing. As a lot of people know, wearing a hijab is definitely a struggle. I wear it probably 90 percent of the time and that’s where I’m at. I do eventually plan on wearing it long term.” Haneen Mustafa, MSU human development and family studies junior
Anna Nichols
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“I almost never wear it, only in times of prayer or during Ramadan. I did not grow up in a strict family. My parents come from opposite backgrounds and my family decided that it was more important to teach modesty in life rather in appearance.” --Marwa ElShazly, MSU sophomore.
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“Everyone has something that identifies them. I want people to know I’m Muslim.” --Yousra Hamidou, MSU sophomore
It is a big decision for Muslim women to begin wearing a hijab. It’s an outward declaration of religious affiliation and it can come with stigmas.
Mahbuba Fidda, an MSU Law Library assistant who is Muslim but chooses to not wear a hijab made a point that Islamic women are not the only individuals who cover their heads. Jews, Christians, Hindus and many other religions practice similar forms of modesty.
“To me, religion is inside, between you and God. It’s very private to me. Religion shouldn’t be other people’s business and everybody should have a choice,” said Fidda. “There are good Muslims and bad Muslims, good Christians and bad Christians, good Jews, bad Jews, good atheists, bad atheists, but people should have the freedom of choice.”
MSU student Malak Aldasouqi said she’s faced judgment for her choice to cover her head.
“Sometimes it is hard to get up in the morning because sometimes you’ll be walking and you’ll get these unbearable stares in your face,” said the college freshman. “They’re looking at you like you’re different and unwanted. Often in the car I’ll be flicked off so that’s hard, but also it kind of strengthens my character and makes me more unapologetically Muslim.”
MSU assistant professor of psychiatry Farha Abbasi frequently speaks to students about her experience as a Muslim woman in this country and the emotional burden those who enter the U.S. feel. She gave the challenge of thinking about five things that define a person as an individual and then telling them hypothetically they have to give up two of the things to be accepted. She said this is often how people who wish to wear the hijab feel in society.
“How can humans adapt if you are from day one going to say ‘first of all you are not welcome and now you are only welcome under certain conditions?” asked Abbasi. “To me, that’s very unnatural. It’s very detrimental and it’s not going to benefit either of the parties.”