Hijab/headscarf for Muslims

[Anonymous]

I started wearing the hijab few years ago, and I was happy and very much satisfied with my decision. I never felt the scarf would hinder anything in my life or make me a subject to discrimination...but lately with all what's going on in the world with ISIS and the heated media against Muslims makes me angry because my religion got hijacked. I have to admit that I'm becoming way more sensitive to my surrounding now...there are times I get dirty looks here and there or sometimes people assume that I'm dumb or less educated...it bothers me.

Those of you wearing the scarf, what are your thoughts? Have you had any bad experience lately?

Those of you who are non Muslims, what are your thoughts when you see a woman wearing the scarf? Are you scared of Muslims?

[Anonymous]

I'm not a Muslim and it no longer really even registers with me when I see a woman wearing the scarf. Definitely doesn't trigger any fear or anything of that nature.

The only time I do notice is when I'm wearing a tank top and shorts around our apartment building and see one of my neighbors that wears a head covering and modest clothing. It will usually make me wonder if my outfit offends them or makes them uncomfortable. It's not a real concern for me, though, more of an idle curiosity on my part.

[Anonymous]

I am a non Muslim married to a Muslim. I have conflicting thoughts on it. My step daughters wear them now and I watch as I meet them for lunch or something, how others look at them, and it's not kind. Here in DC. One has been called ISIS bride at her Fairfax County school. My husband who is Muslim and begged his daughters not to wear hijab also worries what people think of him as he walks with his daughters in public. He assumes they assume he forced them to wear it.

So while I respect the idea of wearing hijab, and understand both its religious meaning as well as the fact it helps women feel identified as a Muslim (to other Muslims, in a non-Halim country), I don't like the way many American non Muslims perceive it. I am in the unenviable position of being a blond American-born white woman, in that many white people share their bigoted comments with me assuming I feel similarly. Then I have to tell them to please stop. I'm married to an arab Muslim.

And read this. My husband desperately wants to move to Frederick but this gives me serious pause.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-home-that-looks-perfect-until-bigotry-rears-its-ugly-head/2016/07/04/f12e5216-420c-11e6-8856-f26de2537a9d_story.html

[Anonymous]

I always try to smile at them because I figure someone, somewhere, gave them a dirty look or a nasty response.

[Anonymous]

I'm not religious but I come from a Muslim family. To me the hijab is nothing more than a hair accessory. Like a hat, extensions, a headband - it's an aesthetic that someone chooses to wear because they like it, and it means nothing more.

It does not mean they are a pious Muslim, and it does not mean they are scary or stupid. It's just a head/hair accessory, and I harbor no judgment against someone wear it.

Niqab or face covering? That's another story altogether. That shit needs to be banned.

[Anonymous]

Hijabs doesn't bother me.

Niqabs actually really bother me. I feel that its an aggressive political statement in some ways seeing as its quite extreme to hide your face in that way.

After all as a society, we place a lot of value in facial expressions and non-verbal cues. I would not feel especially encouraged to start a conversation with someone in a niqab. Its sort of a Do Not Disturb sign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not religious but I come from a Muslim family. To me the hijab is nothing more than a hair accessory. Like a hat, extensions, a headband - it's an aesthetic that someone chooses to wear because they like it, and it means nothing more.

It does not mean they are a pious Muslim, and it does not mean they are scary or stupid. It's just a head/hair accessory, and I harbor no judgment against someone wear it.

Niqab or face covering? That's another story altogether. That shit needs to be banned.

+1 to all of this, from another Muslim (moderately religious)

[Anonymous]

I don't care whether someone wears a hijab or not as long as they are not stating that it is a requirement within Islam. If they're wearing it because they feel like it's another fashion accessory- great. I love accessories.

The OP stating that it is for her faith and that she didn't think there would be any changes towards her is curious. The changes are within her if it's for her faith, not based on a piece of cloth. Of course some people might treat her differently, it's certainly not right, but it's hardly believable that she didn't think it would happen.

I don't look twice at women who wears the hijab. I try really hard not to look twice when its a niqab, but it's certainly a distraction. If I was wearing a hot pink leotard and walking around down the street, I'd expect some looks too. Anything completely out of the ordinary will get that.

The question "are you scared of Muslims?" is a strange one. Do you see people running from you in fear when you walk around with a hijab? Are people you work with quitting their jobs because they are afraid? Does your mailman skip over your house because he's scared to go near your mailbox?

What examples can you give that give you the impression that most people are scared of you? Do you equate people having opinions on the wearing of hijab and it's political history means they are scared of you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started wearing the hijab few years ago, and I was happy and very much satisfied with my decision. I never felt the scarf would hinder anything in my life or make me a subject to discrimination...but lately with all what's going on in the world with ISIS and the heated media against Muslims makes me angry because my religion got hijacked. I have to admit that I'm becoming way more sensitive to my surrounding now...there are times I get dirty looks here and there or sometimes people assume that I'm dumb or less educated...it bothers me.

Those of you wearing the scarf, what are your thoughts? Have you had any bad experience lately?

Those of you who are non Muslims, what are your thoughts when you see a woman wearing the scarf? Are you scared of Muslims?

I'm not afraid of Muslims.

When I see a woman with scarf or a hijab, I pity her, however. But then again, I'm not fond of oppression.

[Anonymous]

I don't think anything about it in less I see a woman wearing a pretty scarf and think, that's pretty. In some ways its probably easier as you don't have to worry about doing your hair. If someone is crazy enough to generalize that all Muslim's are bad, there is something seriously wrong with them and not a person I want to be around. If its important to you, wear it.

[Anonymous]

Not a muslim, but I see a big difference between a Hijab and a Niqab. The only time I really notice a Hijab is when the person wearing it doesn't have a skin tone that I associate with muslim countries (e.g. brown-ish from ME or Pakistan). I don't think less or worse, but it's unusual enough for me to see a white or black person in a hijab that I will admit I notice it.

When I see women in a Niqab in the US, though, I admit (in an anonymous forum) that I automatically make a lot of assumptions: immigrant who is likely not well educated and maybe even doesn't speak English, not particularly wealthy, very traditional marriage roles. If they seem like wealthy tourists from S.A., though, pretty much none of the above except maybe the last occurs to me. I know these are total stereotypes, but it's the truth.

Some of this may be that I grew up in an area with a lot of Arab immigrants (primarily Lebanese, Detroit suburbs), and the Niqab was not at all common when I was growing up. Head scarves were not unusual though. It seems like muslim communities in the US are becoming more, not less, conservative/traditional which I find unusual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a muslim, but I see a big difference between a Hijab and a Niqab. The only time I really notice a Hijab is when the person wearing it doesn't have a skin tone that I associate with muslim countries (e.g. brown-ish from ME or Pakistan). I don't think less or worse, but it's unusual enough for me to see a white or black person in a hijab that I will admit I notice it.

When I see women in a Niqab in the US, though, I admit (in an anonymous forum) that I automatically make a lot of assumptions: immigrant who is likely not well educated and maybe even doesn't speak English, not particularly wealthy, very traditional marriage roles. If they seem like wealthy tourists from S.A., though, pretty much none of the above except maybe the last occurs to me. I know these are total stereotypes, but it's the truth.

Some of this may be that I grew up in an area with a lot of Arab immigrants (primarily Lebanese, Detroit suburbs), and the Niqab was not at all common when I was growing up. Head scarves were not unusual though. It seems like muslim communities in the US are becoming more, not less, conservative/traditional which I find unusual.

Funny, I usually associate niqab as an assertive statement. I most often notice it with Black Muslims (not African immigrants), or otherwise Americanized Muslim women who wear it with a badge of honor. I strongly detest the niqab because I see it as unnecessary (according to religion) and divisive. I only know of one or two of the oppressed/immigrant type niqabi women whose husbands put up curtains in their living room so no one can see their precious wives. I also detest that as well, but more so because I find it oppressive.

~moderately religious Muslim PP

[Anonymous]

The only garb that bothers me are the full coverage, all back robes that only show the eyes. WTF. I can not imagine living like that. Screams oppressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always try to smile at them because I figure someone, somewhere, gave them a dirty look or a nasty response.

I try to do this as well. I feel foolish but still try to do it anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started wearing the hijab few years ago, and I was happy and very much satisfied with my decision. I never felt the scarf would hinder anything in my life or make me a subject to discrimination...but lately with all what's going on in the world with ISIS and the heated media against Muslims makes me angry because my religion got hijacked. I have to admit that I'm becoming way more sensitive to my surrounding now...there are times I get dirty looks here and there or sometimes people assume that I'm dumb or less educated...it bothers me.

Those of you wearing the scarf, what are your thoughts? Have you had any bad experience lately?

Those of you who are non Muslims, what are your thoughts when you see a woman wearing the scarf? Are you scared of Muslims?

I think nothing of women in headscarves. They get a smile from me just like any other person would.

What breaks my heart though are the poor women who are forced into or terrified into by some outdated, archaic, dark ages, anri woman world veiw to wealre those horrible, head totoe to finger, heavy, black burkas with their face covered, ESPECIALLY when it is a raging hot day like today and ESPECIALLY when the man they are shuffling behind is wearing weather appropriate clothing.

This is America for goodness sakes, where we fight over glass ceilings and the right for women to be Navy Seals, and where our daughters are more likely to earn a college degree than our sons, and yet we have women in our country who are forced to cover themselves entirely with yards of heavy black fabric, faces included, because the men in their world have decided that it is a gave sin for them to ever feel the sun on their skin or a cool breeze on their faces.

Those are an atrocity and a violation of human rights, especially in a country like the US where we fight so hard for women's rights.