Recently, there was an article in The Cavalier Daily describing how fellow student Attiya Latif brought World Hijab Day to Grounds. While it was a well-written article, something about it bothered me — the hurtful comments.
I am a firm believer in there being two sides to every story and everyone having their own opinion. The purpose of this article was to simply show another side to the story — to present a different opinion. Although some believe the hijab is a symbol of oppression and misogyny, I learned otherwise from a childhood friend.
I met my friend in middle school before she started wearing her hijab. Of course, our initial conversation did not make me seem all that bright. When I inquired where she was from, she replied that she had family in the Middle East. “So they’re in the army?” I asked. Luckily, she just laughed.
It wasn’t until sophomore year of high school that my friend began wearing the hijab. She said that she had waited up until then partially because her parents were afraid she would be treated differently and were against it — but more importantly, she was finally ready for the commitment that the action demanded. I remember thinking how brave she was in voluntarily choosing to wear a hijab, while I was afraid of standing out even a little.
There were many answers when I asked what informed her decision. To her, the hijab was a representation of her faith, purity and modesty. The hair is considered one of the most beautiful parts of a woman and, with the hijab, it is saved for the husband. In addition, the hijab represents a relationship with God.
Although, my friend’s quick transition to wearing a hijab was disconcerting at first, it wasn’t long before I realized our relationship had not really changed. We still ate way too much ice cream and stayed up late watching “Pirates of the Caribbean.” In fact, the hijab added new facets to our relationship — we now joked about a Catholic and hijabi walking into a bar, and nothing was funnier than when she wore a hijab printed with skulls and crossbones.
The meaning of the hijab has been twisted into something entirely different — crimes have been committed based on false ideas of what the hijab means. Yes, in some countries, women are forced to wear them. But for those who choose to wear the hijab, there are a wealth of meanings and reasons that should not be discounted.
Additionally, it is not something that should be used as a barrier — something that marks a person as different or odd. As a community and as University students, we should always strive for better. It is not a secret that, at times, we fall short in diversity. However, it is also no secret that if anyone can solve this problem, we can.
Abigail’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at a.lague@cavalierdaily.com.
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