looks from my peers who had never seen me in a hijab before,” said Samra Matin. “I expected fewer strangers to hold doors open for me or smile when we crossed paths. However, none of this actually proved true. My friends, who are from other faiths, greeted me as usual, and no one even addressed my hijab. My suggestions during a meeting were still taken as seriously, and no one stared at me. For the first time, I was outwardly representing my faith, and I felt that it was my responsibility to project a positive image.” Matin, who had never seriously considered wearing a hijab until her positive experience that day, now has a chance to explore the hijab and is encouraged to think
MANY PEOPLE OF OTHER FAITHS AND TRADITIONS CAME TO THE MSA BOOTH, HEARD PERSONAL HIJAB STORIES FROM PEERS, TRIED ON A HIJAB AND CALLED ON THEIR FRIENDS TO TRY IT ON AS WELL. about transitioning into wearing it. This was the second year the university campus hosted the “Wear a Hijab Day,” but other MSAs have had similar events across the country. “We thought it would give women of other faiths and traditions an opportunity to walk in the shoes of a covered Muslim and feel firsthand the response from society,” said Hafsa Siddiqui, UIUC MSA outreach chairwoman. During the summer, Siddiqui heard
ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
about a new online hijab store called B. Hijaby and contacted the owner, Asima Bhatty in Massachusetts. “Asima was so generous and helpful through the entire planning and execution of the project,” Siddiqui said. “She gave us 200 amazing quality, extremely cute hijabs at a huge discount and shipped them to us for free. We chose the pebbled coral print scarf as we wanted it to be feminine and graceful.” “I feel there is so much that people don’t know or understand about hijab that the idea of approaching students and handing them a free scarf to wear was a great idea,” Bhatty said. “Being part of this event has personally helped renew my intention for why I started this business in the first place.” Since the event, Bhatty has been approached by several other MSA members to replicate the event on other campuses. At first, the UIUC MSA was nervous about receiving negative feedback, but the response was overwhelmingly positive. Many people of other faiths and traditions came to their booth, heard personal hijab stories from peers, tried on a hijab and called on their friends to try it on as well. “No one gave us a hard time,” Siddiqui said. “I firmly believe that knowledge gained through experience cannot be taken away from us,” Guzik said. “I thought I knew quite a bit about hijab, but I was wrong. I thought that people would stare at me and make me feel awkward. But, I actually found my time in the hijab very humbling and I understood why women choose to wear it. I felt more ladylike and it reminded me to think of a higher power — God.”
■
41