DVCx Talk
We were asked to write a TED Talk about something near and dear to our heart. I don't want to keep you waiting so here is my TED Talk and enjoy.
Proud Hijabi
I am often asked the question, “Can you wear shorts?” and my answer is always no. The reaction I get is hilarious. They start freaking out like I just said or did the worst thing on earth and I end up saying, “It's ok guys, I'm still alive.” Yes I may not be able to wear some things because of regulations I choose to follow, but I am able to live a normal life. I might not be able to wear swimsuits to the beach, but I can find other ways to work it out. I took swimming lessons, I know how to swim and I’ve been to the beach many, many times before. But instead of a swimsuit, I wear a burkini. Yes you heard right, burkini, an Islamic version of a swimsuit. Lots of people think that Muslim girls are oppressed by wearing the hijab. My name is Fatima and I am what I like to call myself a proud hijabi.
What does hijab mean? The exact translation of the word hijab means concealing, it means hiding from view, whether that translates into being humble in daily conversations, whether that means wearing loose clothing or whether that means putting the scarf atop your head.
A question that lots of people ask me is, “what is the reason you wear this headscarf?” Allow me to tell you some of the reasons I wear this hijab.
- Hijab protects women from undesired attention. It symbolizes purity and that she has been sanctified to one man she is meant to spend the rest of her life with. She is off-limit to all others.
- Hijab contributes to the stability and preservation of marriage and family life by minimizing the chances of extramarital affairs.
- Hijab compels men to focus on the real personality of the woman and de-emphasizes her physical beauty. It puts the woman in control of strangers’ reaction towards her.
- But the main reason, and the most important one in fact, is to please God and adhere to his commands.
Wearing the hijab does not limit your sense of fashion. As long as a woman follows the guidelines of decency, then she can incorporate her personal sense of style into her hijab. I like to believe I’m a fashionable Hijabi. And as Maria Idrissi, the new hijabi H&M model says: “As long as the hijab meets the guidelines and criteria of what is acceptable while wearing hijab, which is basically covering everything other than your face and hands then you can be as fashionable as you want.”
I started wearing the hijab when I was 8 years old, and no, I wasn't forced to wear it. I did it by my own will. I wore it because I believed that it was a beautiful way to express my love for my religion. It wasn't easy at first. After I started wearing it I got lots of comments like, “You're too young to wear it” or “ Wait till you're older”. I may have been too young to give the right answers at that time, but I knew inside my heart that it was my choice, and that I was happy, and that is all that mattered.
A survey that was put together by the Council on American- Islamic Relations surveyed 471 Muslim students in California public schools between the ages of 11 and 18 to see what their experience in public schools was like. Most of the kids surveyed reported, “a healthy school environment in which they were comfortable participating in discussions about their religious identity”. But there were problems too. 50% of the students surveyed reported social bullying, it was “stuff you would expect”, they said. “Being called a terrorist, or asked ‘What is that thing on your head? girls being called towel heads, were the most common things said” reported the author Fatima Dadabhoy, a staff attorney and civil rights manager. Ten percent of the kids surveyed reported physical bullying like slapping, kicking, or punching. Girls in particular, were subjects to bullying for wearing their hijab. At least 17% of girls who wore hijab said they had experienced “offensive touching or pulling” of their hijab, 4% of whom reported experiencing this often. One reporter quotes an 11 year old girl from Daly City: “Many of my friends and I are a little afraid to wear hijab because we are worried about being bullied.”
I have always heard about girls getting bullied for wearing hijab, but luckily, I had never experienced anything like that before. Well, not until a few months ago. On a Friday, just like this one, Friday March 27, 2015, to be exact, I was standing in the LA county science fair exhibition hall at the Pasadena Convention center. I won at my school level, and that qualified me to participate at the county level. We were asked to dress up professionally for the occasion. I was really nervous waiting for my judge. She finally came. While I was in the middle of explaining my project, she kept interrupting me. Every few minutes she would interrupt me over and over to ask me questions. The judges are instructed to allow the student to explain, and ask questions after. When I was finally able to finish explaining and answering her questions she turned to leave, but before I could let out a sigh of relief she turned around and said “You know how you can be more professional? Take the stupid thing of your head.” then she turned and left. I was just left standing there. I was too shocked to move. No one has ever said anything like that to me before. Her words, to this day, still linger in my ears, and will stay in my memory forever.
My point is that no one should be treated differently or judged because of something they wear. I want to re-enter this world with reciprocated feelings of love, respect, and understanding I have for others. I pray people become more accepting and respectful of those who are just peacefully expressing their religious beliefs, and all I want is to have a legacy of peace and love, and to spread this message.
Thank you.