Vilified by the media, detested by many feminists, and banned by French authorities; the hijab is surely the most politicized female garb of the twenty-first century. However, with the aim of turning knee jerk reactions against hijabi (veil wearers) into understanding and tolerance, on February 1st, World Hijab Day calls on both Muslim and non-Muslim women to spend just one day wearing the traditional headscarf.
The movement was started by Bangladesh born Nazma Khan in New York, where in the aftermath of September 11th 2001, the hijab went from being one of many symbols of the multiculturalism of the city to an instigator of fear and paranoia. Suddenly the very garment that was traditionally intended to divert unwanted attention became an all too visible target for fearful citizens and officials.
Galvanizing social media networks, Khan is seeking to foster understanding and tolerance. She is well aware of the prejudice faced by hijabi. Having grown up as the only hijab wearer in her US school, she remembers a childhood full of taunting. Common middle school nicknames for her were ‘Batman’ or ‘ninja’, but worse was to come in college, where the insults ‘Osama Bin Laden’ and ‘terrorist’ were often thrown at her. So far women from more than 50 countries have registered their interest in the event, both Muslims and non-Muslim.
From its grassroots foundation, the group now has supporters around the world. Khan has been contacted by individuals from numerous countries, including the UK, Australia, India, Pakistan, France and Germany, and her mission statement has been translated into 22 languages. Whilst many women question support for this day, especially there are undoubtedly those have no choice but to adorn the veil, in terms of human rights, the overarching issue is that willing hijabi should be free to do so, without fear of reproach or intimidation.
