{"id":6768,"date":"2021-02-01T21:28:41","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T01:28:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/nbamuslims\/?p=6768"},"modified":"2021-02-01T21:28:41","modified_gmt":"2021-02-02T01:28:41","slug":"latina-american-muslimah-on-khimars-and-world-hijab-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/nbamuslims\/2021\/02\/01\/latina-american-muslimah-on-khimars-and-world-hijab-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Latina American Muslimah on Khimars and World Hijab Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
Gomez (third from the left) with 2018 Muslim Women Leadership Program cohorts [source: Hazel Gomez]<\/figcaption><\/figure>By Hazel G\u00f3mez<\/p>\n
In this strange era of the increased attempt of institutionalizing Islamophobia from the right and the subtle cultural Islamophobic blows from the left, Muslim women who choose to cover with the khimar aka \u1e25ij\u0101b\/headscarf are at the receiving end of it all. From governments trying to implement \u1e25ij\u0101b bans to fellow citizens being hostile to the point of physical harm, wearing the khimar\u2013 an outward religious expression of a woman\u2019s adherence to the Islamic faith \u2013 has become politicized. <\/span><\/p>\n
Not only does our mere presence as covered Muslim women tell the world that we believe in One Creator, One God and that we believe in the final Messenger of God, the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad, peace be upon him, but it also lets society know that we are trying to live God-conscious and moral lives; our physical presence in any space becomes public engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n
Muslim women choosing to cover their heads are usually asked that one question by curious onlookers: \u201cWhy do you wear that scarf on your head?\u201d The answers are as varied as there are Muslim women in the world. Each woman has her reason for wanting to wear the \u1e25ij\u0101b. Some women choose to wear it as a form of gratitude to her Lord, others wear it because they want to embody the traits of the early believers such as the Virgin Mary \u2013 upon her be peace \u2013 and some wear it as a form of da\u2019wah\/outreach in order to draw people in to ask about Islam. <\/span><\/p>\n
Yes, wearing the khimar is a command from God Almighty, but in the end, a woman\u2019s decision to wear it is between her and her Lord \u2013 and no one else.<\/span><\/p>\n
God says in the Holy Qur\u2019\u0101n in Chapter al-A\u1e25z\u0101b (33), verse 59, \u201cfor the women of the believers\u2026to be known<\/strong>,\u201d meaning to be known as believing women. It is meant to be an outward expression of an inward spiritual journey towards God. Men should have absolutely nothing to do with a woman\u2019s choice to cover; they are not, and have never been, a part of the equation.<\/span><\/p>\n
As a Latina convert, wearing the khimar was not an easy decision. Coming from non-Muslim majority cultures as a Puerto Rican and Mexican, I knew that wearing the scarf would make me stand out in my neighborhood, I knew I\u2019d get inquisitive looks and get asked a multitude of questions, but I was ready for it. In my mind, I thought, \u201cWhy not wear it? God has given me so much and all my Creator asks of me is to cover and dress modestly? So, why not?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n
Over the years, I have seen how the khimar has kept me conscious with how I interact with the world around me; it has given me self-confidence and agency as a woman that I didn\u2019t even think I possessed. I became my full self when I started wearing the headscarf, and for that, I am eternally grateful to All\u0101h.<\/span><\/p>\n
World Hijab Day is a great way to start some form of solidarity and awareness, but it isn\u2019t and shouldn\u2019t be made a mockery. The khimar is sacred and should be treated as such; it isn\u2019t just a piece of cloth, it represents a conscious way of life for women. On this World \u1e24ij\u0101b Day, many women from other faith traditions or no faith choose to wear the headscarf in solidarity with Muslim women. Women wear it to experience what it is like to be a \u1e25ij\u0101bi for a day. They color coordinate the scarf with their outfits, post it on Instagram under the hashtags #ootd and #worldhijabday, and proceed to explore the world as a perceived covered Muslim woman. <\/span><\/p>\n
Well, I have some questions: if you are willing to wear the headscarf for one day, are you willing to stand up for me and my rights as a covered Muslim woman? Are you ready to be my accomplice as I fight for my voice to be heard in a society that tells me I don\u2019t belong here? Are you willing to stand by my side as I fight off Islamophobic trolls, many of whom are in your own family, who wish to see my religious identity and practice eradicated from the public sphere? We need more allies and accomplices who want to live God-conscious and moral lives as we do as Muslims.<\/span><\/p>\n
I know why I decided to wear the \u1e25ij\u0101b. Do you?<\/span><\/p>\n