COVERING UP UNCOVERS CONNECTIONS: WFWP OHIO EXPERIENCES WORLD HIJAB DAY
World Hijab Day (WHD) was founded 6 years ago by Nazma Khan, a young Muslim woman and New York native, who initiated this global movement to bring awareness to a subject that is very dear to her and millions of Muslim women across the globe. (Please see the end of the article for more information on WHD).
The World Hijab Day event held at the Ohio University at the Baker Multicultural Center on February 1, 2018 was well attended, with speakers presenting their decision to wear the hijab as a part of their spiritual journey as Muslim women. One woman spoke out for the right of Muslim women not to wear the hijab, as it is forced on women in some areas of the world by cultures ruled by men who interpret the Quran from a cultural perspective rather than following the original tenets set out by the founder, the Prophet Mohammed.
The traditional scarf was available to women attending who did not wear the hijab normally. It was pinned so the temple and neck were not exposed, as is the tradition. I wanted to have this experience of wearing a head scarf, so I gratefully accepted the opportunity. As soon as I had it in place, I felt the presence of it in a way that I was not expecting. As I wore it out and in my daily activities for the rest of the day, I had many thoughts and feelings. I wondered if I should tell people about World Hijab Day to explain why I was suddenly in this scarf, since I am not a Muslim believer. There was a pin on the side with the words clearly on it, but I know most people don’t read the fine print. In the end, I didn’t say anything but instead, carried my head high. It was a very powerful experience. Now I feel more connected to women that I meet who wear a hijab all the time.
Another positive outcome of the event were the dynamic women I met there. As it was at the university, many were there as Fulbright scholars or on special grants because of their achievements and academic success. One woman, Aceh, met me at a coffee shop the following week to tell me more about her experiences as a Muslim woman and someone who now was finishing a doctorate in Educational Leadership. Learning of her experiences was eye-opening, and I wouldn’t have had that opportunity if I hadn’t participated in the World Hijab Day event.
I am so grateful to have met this very dynamic young leader of the future and to have my photo taken with her. I was blessed to find out about her life and the power of her mother, which keeps her fighting forward to bring peace and justice for women everywhere.
We must stand for Muslim women’s right to cover! There are many ways to show your solidarity.
Aceh’s story
Aceh was in high school in 2004 when the tsunami swept over her homeland in Indonesia. The destruction was sudden and changed her world forever. Before the tsunami, her country had been in a 33 year conflict. She grew up in fear of the forces of the military which were present in all parts of the community as the government of Indonesia and Separatists fought. After the tsunami, 10,000 people were displaced to refugee camps.
Aceh had been at a Boarding School. Her mother came to get her at holiday and break times. One time, they got back to her home and it had been taken over by the military. The men had to run away or be forced to fight. She ran to another town with her little brother. On the way, they had to cross a river where thousands of others were escaping. It was a very slow process. Later she heard that her house had been burned down. This was Eid, a time that she cherished, which is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Now all her memories of her childhood were gone. The house had been purchased with her mother’s bride money. One village that the refugees went to was called the Widow’s Village as 98% of the population were just that.
After seeing such destruction and living with such loss, Aceh asked her mother if she could quit school. Her mother gave her one absolute nswer, “NO!” Her mother was the force which propelled her forward and continues to this day. Her mother is a teacher and started working with women after the tsunami and was invited by the military to keep communication open so that all the community could come back together. The war was over. Now it was a matter of putting the remaining people back together. Her mother told her that no one should judge others because not all people are bad.
In 2010, Aceh began working with an NGO supporting local women. It was a new era for women. They stood up against the institution of rape that had plagued them for the years of the conflict. Now, women became powerful negotiators and even warriors and spies to protect their homes and communities. They were leaders in their villages. When the war ended, the men began to return and demanded their positions back. Discrimination started again.
Now Aceh is in a doctoral program, having come to Ohio University on a scholarship based on her outstanding work with the NGO in Indonesia. Her dissertation focuses on women’s experiences during war and afterwards especially in their efforts for peace. She still works with the NGO, the Sekodi School of Peace, that brings young people out of places hit by disaster and war. The work there can be found on their Facebook page.
The history of World Hijab Day
Nazma Khan, a New York native, initiated this global movement with the intent of bringing awareness to a subject that’s very dear to her and millions of Muslim women across the globe. While growing up in NYC, she was harassed both physically and emotionally on numerous occasions. The presence of such discrimination heightened around 9/11 because her hijab scared people around her. The negative perception of the hijab allowed people to act upon their fears and hurt innocent women without a real and existing threat. Her purpose in founding WHD was to introduce her pain to others in hopes that no one will ever have to go through such emotional trauma simply having love for their faith.
Consequently, on February 1st, 2013, she asked her fellow sisters of all faiths across the globe to don the hijab for one day. Within eight days, she got responses from women residing in 67 different countries that represented a conglomerate of religious backgrounds, including Christians, Jews, Pagans, Wiccans, Rastafarians, Buddhists, Atheists, and more. WHD gave an opportunity to citizens worldwide who were not familiar with the Islamic faith to open up dialogues with their Muslim neighbors, co-workers, and friends. Additionally, WHD allowed teachers to understand why their Muslim students wear the hijab. It also provided non-Muslim mothers a chance to better understand their daughters’ faith and the decision to wear a hijab. WHD presented an opportunity for everyone to learn about the hijab and its importance in the Islamic faith, without perpetuating the negative generalizations in today’s society.
WHD has thousands of volunteers worldwide and 70+ WHD Ambassadors from over 45 countries. WHD Ambassadors come from all walks of life, from a high school student to a Congresswoman in the Philippines. Last year alone, 150 countries partook in WHD. In addition to that, WHD has been endorsed by many world-renowned individuals including scholars, politicians, and celebrities worldwide. WHD was covered in mainstream news media including New York Times, BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera, and Huffington Post, to name a few. Last year, Time Magazine listed World Hijab Day in their world calendar, The Year Ahead 2017. In addition, the New York State Senate proclaimed February 1st, 2017 as Hijab Day in the State of New York. It is estimated that 145 countries took part in WHD 2018, according to https://worldhijabday.com/worldwidesupport/.
A reflection from a participant in World Hijab Day 2018
“I participated in World Hijab Day and it was a good experience that I will repeat. I live in a very small, very Christian town. There were some strange looks and people were staring at me – and then looking away quickly when they realized I saw them looking. A few people seemed surprised that I spoke English. The fact that I was wearing hijab gave me the opportunity to talk to my step children about respect, difference, and peace.” (Talya Leodari -Jewish, USA)
How WFWP Ohio Chairwoman Nadya Hinson got involved
I learned about Hijab Day and decided to encourage all my WFWP contacts to consider wearing or thinking about those who do wear a hijab on February 1. I sent out a flyer to the women in WFWP Ohio and in the International Department at Ohio University. Several women that have expressed interest in being members of WFWP in Ohio joined me to attend a bigger event that was already planned at OU. As it turned out, the Muslim women group on campus has been doing HIjab Day for a few years. I was glad to join them. I was able to meet several dynamic young women with whom I hope to engage more in the future.
Hijab Day was actually not that easy to do. I thought at first that I wouldn't have a problem because I love scarves and cover my head even sometimes. My grandmother and mother were from Slovakia and wore scarves all the time I was growing up. However, when the Hijab Day official scarf was put on correctly, tight under the chin and all hair pulled back, I felt different. I considered what it was like to be a Muslim woman and to pray 5 times a day. I have worked with many Muslim people and I deeply admire their devotion to prayer and other traditions like Eid. The hope is that every year, more women will hear about Hijab Day and try it or think about it.
Participation in World Hijab Day was a substantiation of Peace Starts with Me. Every single person can engage in peace every day by starting with themself. For a long time, we have had the concept that we needed to invite a lot of people to events and have a great photo op. In reality, those gatherings seldom resulted in meaningful follow up. Also, our members got the idea that peace comes from getting as many people as possible to an event instead of working on peace within themselves.
When I meet women or talk with our WFWP members of many years, I am focusing on the simple fact that any act of kindness toward another is an act of peace. Any time we do something for a stranger, especially one that is not like us, we are working for peace. These gestures are from the heart and start real relationships which last. Membership on paper is one thing. Genuine caring and connection goes beyond that.
