This article was written by a Kooth writer and contains the following themes: hijabis, Islam, pride, discrimination

Lots of women and girls wear hijabs in the Muslim community.

While a hijab is a type of head covering that can come in different forms, most people recognise a hijab as a headscarf, that is wrapped around the head and neck, covering the hair, neck, and ears while leaving the face visible. Hijabs come in a huge variety of colours, styles and fashions. A person who wears a hijab is called a hijabi, and while others might instantly recognise a hijabi because of how they are dressed, there is so much more to being a hijabi than wearing a head covering.

In this article we talk about:

• 1. Why people wear hijabs
• 2. Why the hijab is sometimes a misunderstood symbol
• 3. Maryam’s experience of connecting with faith and dealing with the lack of awareness about hijabs
• 4. Nadia’s experience of choosing to wear a hijab in her teens
• 5. Zainab’s experience of choosing to wear a hijab as an adult and appreciating modesty.
• 6. How to deal with religious discrimination

1. Why do people wear hijabs?

People wear hijabs for all sorts of reasons. Some wear them to show cultural or religious pride, and others wear them to honour their family traditions. Some women and girls wear hijabs all the time, while others only wear them for special occasions. Today, lots of Muslim women and girls wear a hijab with pride. Nadiya Hussein from Great British Bake Off, Malala Yousafzai the education activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Fashion model, Halima Aden, and Yasmin Abdullahi – footballer and founder of Sisterhood FC – the first Muslim women’s football club in the UK, are just a few hijabis making their mark on the world.

2. Why is the hijab sometimes a misunderstood symbol?

Unfortunately, while the world is more diverse and inclusive than ever in some ways, the hijab is sometimes misunderstood. While so many women and girls in the UK and across the world wear their hijab as a symbol of pride, empowerment, and choice, there are some people who believe the hijab symbolises gender inequality and oppression. To find out more, we spoke to Maryam, Nadia, and Zainab about the importance of their hijabs, the myths and misconceptions other people sometimes have, and how this affects them.

*All names are pseudonyms

3. Maryam talks about connecting to her faith and the lack of awareness about hijabs

Maryam is a Muslim hijabi teenager who is studying for her A levels.

“I wear my hijab to feel connected to my faith. For me, it’s a really positive thing and I’m lucky to be surrounded by amazing role models in my community who offer reassurance and guidance. I feel that there is sometimes a lack of awareness about hijabs that can lead people to think that women and girls who choose to wear them are somehow oppressed. This might lead to some girls who really want to wear a hijab feeling too afraid to do so for fear of being judged.

Despite the constant reassurance I’ve been given by my family, I have found myself sometimes feeling self-conscious because of my hijab. After a long day at school, or a bad day, those stares that I’d usually ignore can become overbearing and irritating. Reminding myself that my beliefs aren’t the problem really helps but it’s hard at times.

During the summer I’ve experienced stares and even awkward conversations with strangers that feel entitled enough to say I’m “free” to take it off, suggesting that my hijab acts as a materialised prison cell instead of recognising that my choice to wear it is my freedom. Many of these conversations also start with the simple yet common “ are you not hot in that?” Comments like these can plant a shameful seed in the heads of hijabi women and girls, and that’s not okay. I am proud to wear my hijab, and it is my choice.”

4. Nadia talks about choosing to wear a hijab in her teens

Nadia is a Muslim hijabi and works in mental health.

“My hijab journey began when I was at college, prior to that I had only worn it whilst in prayer. Whilst sat talking to a group of students we were getting to know each other, I mentioned something about Ramadan and one girl looked shocked and said ‘Oh I had no idea you were Muslim’. That was something that just did not sit right with me and that very weekend I announced to my Mum that I was going to start wearing a headscarf. I felt it was important for people to know straight away that I am a Muslim, I was also a black eyeshadow wearing Goth, but in the same way that people wear uniforms and sports kits, a headscarf is a symbol of belonging to a way of life. For me the difficulty was finding a style that made me feel comfortable and I still wanted to look ‘fashionable’. Growing up at a time when the internet was not accessible everywhere I did feel reliant on copying how my friends wore theirs, but now there are so many hijab wearing influencers, hijab brands, styles, colours I feel it has made wearing so much easier. The meaning though is still there; my hijab, my identity, my choice.”

5. Zainab talks about choosing to wear a hijab as an adult and appreciating modesty.

Zainab is in her early 20s and only recently decided to wear a hijab.

“My hijab has become the missing piece of the puzzle. I feel like I’ve grown a lot in my faith during my young adulthood and when COVID-19 hit, I felt this urge to connect with my faith more. During this time of being in lockdown and reflecting on my faith, I realised I was missing one part of my faith and that was wearing the hijab. I honestly never anticipated wearing the hijab and my family never told me to wear it. I am sometimes surprised why I made the decision I did, because it happened out of nowhere, but I’m glad I did, and I’m glad I chose to wear it when I felt comfortable. The fact that it happened the way it did makes the memory of choosing to wear it even more special to me. It truly is just a personal choice and I wear it because I feel more connected to my faith when I wear it. I also love the importance of modesty in my faith; not only outward modesty, but also modesty* in the way we’re supposed to carry ourselves and the way we interact with others.”

• While we often think of modesty in relation to dressing conservatively, it also refers to a state of humility – not being self-obsessed or seeing yourself as better than others.

6. How to deal with religious discrimination

We really hear that while many women and girls have positive experiences and are proud to wear their hijabs, some don’t feel confident to, or have experienced unhelpful, unkind, or abusive comments. Religious discrimination is where you are treated differently because of your religion. If you are judged, or mistreated for wearing a hijab, that’s discrimination and it’s never okay. A person’s religion is a really personal thing, so being treated differently because of it can be upsetting, and affect how you feel about yourself. If you are treated unfairly because you wear a hijab, or any other part of your religion, please know that there is support out there. Speaking to someone you trust such as a teacher, family member, friend, or religious leader can be a helpful way to express how you feel, get support, and also report anything that has made you feel upset, or unsafe. If this doesn’t feel possible right now, talking to a Kooth practitioner over message or chat might be a useful first step. If you receive any online abuse on social media, please remember that all social media channels have ways you can report abusive or unacceptable behaviour.

The Muslim Youth Helpline provides faith and culturally sensitive support for young Muslims in the UK who require support from someone they believe will understand. You can also speak to a Kooth mental health practitioner anonymously by messages or live chat.