Meaning of Covering
Hijab is an often misunderstood religious and cultural symbol and custom. While often associated with just the physical scarf and head covering, the hijab represents modesty not only in appearance but also in attitudes and actions. Women we interviewed utilize the hijab as a source of empowerment to create individual spaces for their intellect and independence. The hijab removes societal conceptions of beauty and allows women to be viewed for their intelligence. Overall, the women we spoke to highlighted the fact that covering went beyond a physical scarf, and was a representative of their life choices as Muslims, as well as a representation of their identity.
Saadia
Saadia
- "The hijab is not just a dress, it is the whole attitude of how you interact with other people. I take some offense to how some people use it. If you are wearing a hijab but then you are going out for drinks at a bar with guys giggling and laughing. That’s not really hijab. What does it matter whether your hair is showing or not. It is the whole way that you interact with people especially if you are a women with men."Noor:
- "I actually feel more respected, even with men, maybe it's just we're so blessed to live in a place like Houston, where there's so much diversity and cultures and we're all like the melting pot, you know? I don't know if that could be the reason why, I personally have never experienced anything negative which I know there’s a lot."
- "It's how you live your life and practice life, how you eat, how you shower, how you do all these things so for me it was just something, a personal choice between me and God that it helps me to be more humble, so it was just kind of like, just my choice. Protection against, for myself. It's a different thing because before men could be like oh, you know, checking you out and you know, and they may not even be listening to you because they're too busy looking at your physical, but me wearing my scarf is like a protection and it gives me a sense of being respected more and thank God I've never had any kind of experience where someone comes to disrespect me because of my appearance as a Muslim like my dressing."
- "I started wearing hijab in the seventh grade and I made that decision because like I mentioned I started going to Islamic conventions to socialize with other Muslims and learn more about my own faith. I was really inspired by a specific lecture about the hijab and modesty and how it can empower you as a Muslim and so, initially, that’s how I started wearing it, as a way to remind myself that I’m Muslim so I can reflect those teachings because sometimes you get wrapped up in your day to day life and you forget your faith so in that way it’s a reminder for myself. How I pray, to conduct myself in a manner that I would be proud of so those are the reasons that I keep wearing it but definitely I have struggled with keeping it on because I feel like by wearing it you’re making a statement and you are visibly a Muslim and so if you end up doing anything...I guess how I’ve struggled with it is say I say a bad word or I’m accidentally rude because I’m having a bad day because I’m wearing a hijab it translates more to Islam and not to me having a bad day."
- "For me, definitely number one is it's between me and God and I feel this is something that pleases God and I'm gonna do it and that' enough reason for me. The other aspect is I feel it's a very strong statement of - I don't want to say feminism but - it's a statement that says, tells the others, the people dealing with me that I will decide what to show and what not to show and you will respect me as I am. You will respect my intelligence, you will respect me as a person, not as a pretty thing. You will not dictate on me how much skin I should show in order to be accepted. What my hair should look like in order to be accepted. So I feel like I'm making a statement on the secular level, not just the religious level."
- "I think when I’m around other Muslims that are more conservative I’ll feel the need to cover more out of respect to them kind of but yeah so I see that pressure around other Muslims in America and everyone’s different so you want to respect their beliefs as well. I’m not going to wear hijab just because my friend does but because I know she’s completely covered, I’m not going to also ...I mean it doesn’t affect me too much because I do wear t-shirts, I wear capris at some points, even dresses so it doesn’t affect me too much per say but sometimes I say “hey might as well wear pants today” which wouldn’t affect me too much because I wear pants anyways."
- "Personally, I’ve never truly viewed wearing a hijab as one of those things. I know that a lot of women do, and I completely understand and respect that, but I guess it’s never been that way for me."
- "To my understanding, the Quran tells both men and women to “wear a veil of modesty,” but I never interpreted this as the Quran asking women to literally cover their hair. I don’t wear hijab, but I dress modestly and I try to behave modestly. To me, that is my “veil of modesty.”