It is my comfort and confidence amid the chaos: Women share what wearing a hijab means to them – The Indian Express

Last month, six students in Karnatakas Udupi district were barred from entering a college because they were wearing hijab. The incident soon snowballed into a controversy with raging debates on whether the hijab a veil worn by some Muslim women should be part of uniforms at educational institutions.

Over the next few weeks, the Karnataka government announced a three-day closure of all educational institutions amid increasing protests. On February 5, the state government passed an order stating that wearing a headscarf is not an essential religious practice for Muslims that can be protected under the Constitution. The states High Court is hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the government order.

While some said women should have the freedom of choice, others argued hijab is a form of oppression against women.

So, what does wearing a hijab mean to Muslim women?

Hijab has been a part of my life for more than 11 years now. I remember when I took admission in Hindu College, I met a girl who was surprised to meet a Muslim, as she had never come across one in her school life. She later shared how her parents have certain prejudices against the community. The conversation left a deep impact on me and also highlighted the Islamophobia that exists in Indian society.

When we started classes after a few weeks, I decided to wear the hijab as a representation of my community in a university where students from all over the country study a place where it is not an alien concept to befriend a Muslim. It was also my way of making them aware of my existence and an attempt to break stereotypes. But, this small step became quite prominent the moment I joined the dramatics society as I was the only one doing theatre wearing a hijab. I feel it is unfortunate that Muslims who have been pushed to ghettos through systematic othering have to be the ones to make an effort to be seen, heard and understood.

But, hijab is the confidence I have in my faith. It is not only a cloth covering my hair but a representation of who I am and where I come from. There have been times, especially post 2014, where I have faced blatant Islamophobia at work places, on trips, at restaurants or even in the markets, but my faith and my purpose is bigger than all the Islamophobia, and with time, this thought has become stronger. My hijab is my comfort and confidence in all the chaos around me.

-Mariyam H Siddiqui, 29, experiential educator, Delhi

I started wearing a hijab during my internship days, four years ago. It was completely my decision one that I reached on after reading a lot of books and thinking logically; until I was fully convinced. Then I accepted this blessing. Now, hijab is like my identity. Its the symbol of my love towards my God.

In the last four years, I have done my internship and postgraduate training in the field of paediatrics. Never did I feel I was not able to do any work or activity because of my hijab. Rather, the hijab is a sign of empowerment for me. I am a proud Muslimah and a proud hijabi. In my opinion, if someone wants to wear hijab or dress modestly an essential practice of Islam preventing them from doing so is against the fundamental and constitutional rights.

-Dr Sayeeda Zahan, paediatrician, Kolkata

Hijab is that valuable piece of cloth that gives us freedom to be selective of what we want the world to see. Its more a symbol of modesty than anything. Its our basic right to dress whichever way we want. As for me, my father didnt want me to wear a hijab. Hence, its my personal choice and not something I am forced to do. Hijab ban in the name of uniformity is communal hatred-inciting propaganda. Like you cant force similar dress code for males and females, you cant impose on Muslim women what we should or shouldnt wear.

-Mariyam Khan, student, Uttar Pradesh

I started wearing hijab in school after I saw most of my classmates wearing it. It was fascinating to me and I wanted to try and fit in. It did bring a certain sense of freedom from gaze, comments and judgment. There is a certain respect that comes with it. Eventually, it was both cultural and religious, so I never questioned it and wore it on and off until I was in my 20s.

If you wear a hijab, people assume you are pious and that was something I didnt want to be associated with. I wore a hijab not because it represented my moral character or my intelligence, my backwardness or my modernity, but because it made me feel grounded and whole. It is a part of my personality and identity. That doesnt give me the right to judge women who dont wear hijab; it doesnt make me a better Muslim than them.

Sometimes, I have worn it as a political statement in places where my identity as a Muslim woman needed to be established. I have chosen it not as an obligation, but as a choice, and that is something a lot of people find difficult to understand. The task of finding a job is certainly challenging in these times when appearance is as important as qualifications. As for the hijab, I have chosen to wear it not out of obligated servitude, nor as a symbol of oppression, but out of freedom.

-Mehwish, 25, engineering student, Kashmir

I started wearing hijab when I was 13 or 14 years old, because I wanted to. My parents never forced me; they supported me. At that time, I didnt know why people wear hijab. But the more I learnt about it, the closer I felt to Allah.

Hijab, for me, is absolutely a part of my identity now. I feel it is the most powerful tool that gives me courage and makes me fearless. It makes me feel I have a voice. Its up to me what I choose to do with my body, and not anyone else to tell me what I should and should not be doing, to not dismiss my intelligence but to accept it, to respect it.

But it is sad that in India today we dont have that respect, or acceptance. People dont leave any stone unturned in disrespecting Muslim women. There is this understanding that women who practise purdah are oppressed, illiterate or backward. Is that something we are going to allow to perpetuate in our society? People need to broaden their horizons, open their minds to realise there is a diverse culture behind what you are making a monolith of, that Islam in itself has diverse culture like any other religion.

The hijab is my right, my choice, and my life. It is not symbol of oppression, but a tool of empowerment for Muslim girls. This is the crown and the identity of us, and if you try to question our identity, then we will fight for it.

-Sadiya Riyaz Shaikh, 19, director and founder of Rahnuma Welfare Foundation, Mumbai

Hijab is my pride, it is my identification, and I personally believe hijab is a choice of each individual. It is a choice women, who want to cover their head for their religion, make. It never was, is, or will be a sign of oppression. I have some sisters who started hijab at the age of 5 as a sign of respect, while others chose not to. Its about hidayat (Gods will), making hijab a choice for one and all. I personally believe this is the end of democracy, an end of an era for people whove just started out, for children who are young and are going to schools, as the experience will never be the same again; for girls who have dreams and ambitions. This entire fiasco has left me with a lot of bewilderment as I didnt grow up in an India like this. I knew a different India and its only a matter of time before things go out of hand.

-Maliha Noor Siddiqui, 22, mass communication student, Kolkata

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It is my comfort and confidence amid the chaos: Women share what wearing a hijab means to them - The Indian Express