A conversation for Muslim
sisters: “I’m so tired.” “Tired of what?” “Of all these people judging
me.” “Who judged you?” “Like that woman, every time
I sit with her, she tells me to
wear hijab.” “Oh, hijab and music! The
mother of all topics!” “Yeah! I listen to music
without hijab… haha!” “Maybe she was just giving
you advice.” “I don’t need her advice. I
know my religion. Can’t she
mind her own business?” “Maybe you misunderstood.
She was just being nice.” “Keeping out of my business,
that would be nice…” “But it’s her duty to encourage
you do to good.” “Trust me. That was no
encouragement. And what do
you mean ‘good’?” “Well, wearing hijab, that
would be a good thing to do.” “Says who?” “It’s in the Quran, isn’t it?” “Yes. She did quote me
something.” “She said Surah Nur, and other
places of the Quran.” “Yes, but it’s not a big sin
anyway. Helping people and
praying is more important.” “True. But big things start with
small things.” “That’s a good point, but what
you wear is not important.
What’s important is to have a
good healthy heart.” “What you wear is not
important?” “That’s what I said.” “Then why do you spend an
hour every morning fixing up?” “What do you mean?” “You spend money on
cosmetics, not to mention all
the time you spend on fixing
your hair and low-carb
dieting.” “So?” “So, your appearance IS
important.” “No. I said wearing hijab is not
an important thing in religion.” “If it’s not an important thing
in religion, why is it
mentioned in the Noble
Quran?” “You know I can’t follow all
that’s in Quran.” “You mean God tells you
something to do, you disobey
and then it’s OK?” “Yes. God is forgiving.” “God is forgiving to those who
repent and do not repeat their
mistakes.” “Says who?” “Says the same book that tells
you to cover.” “But I don’t like hijab, it limits
my freedom.” “But the lotions, lipsticks,
mascara and other cosmetics
set you free?!
What’s your definition of
freedom anyway?” “Freedom is in doing whatever
you like to do.” “No. Freedom is in doing the
right thing, not in doing
whatever we wish to do.” “Look! I’ve seen so many
people who don’t wear hijab
and are nice people, and so
many who wear hijab and are
bad people.” “So what? There are people
who are nice to you but are
alcoholic. Should we all be
alcoholics? You made a stupid
point.” “I don’t want to be an
extremist or a fanatic. I’m OK
the way I am without hijab.” “Then you are a secular fanatic.
An extremist in disobeying
God.” “You don’t get it, if I wear
hijab, who would marry me?!” “So all these people with hijab
never get married?!” “Okay! What if I get married
and my husband doesn’t like
it? And wants me to remove
it?” “What if your husband wants
you to go out with him on a
bank robbery?!” “That’s irrelevant, bank
robbery is a crime.” “Disobeying your Creator is not
a crime?” “But then who would hire
me?” “A company that respects
people for who they are.” “Not after 9-11″ Yes. After 9-11. Don’t you
know about Hanan who just
got into med school?
And the other one, what was
her name, the girl who always
wore a white hijab… ummm…” “Yasmin?” “Yes. Yasmin. She just finished
her MBA and is now interning
for GE.” “Why do you reduce religion to
a piece of cloth anyway?” “Why do you reduce
womanhood to high heals and
lipstick colors?” “You didn’t answer my
question.” “In fact, I did. Hijab is not just
a piece of cloth. It is obeying
God in a difficult environment.
It is courage, faith in action,
and true womanhood.
But your short sleeves, tight pants…” “That’s called ‘fashion’, you live
in a cave or something? First of
all, hijab was founded by men
who wanted to control
women.” “Really? I did not know men
could control women by hijab.” “Yes. That’s what it is.” “What about the women who
fight their husbands to wear
hijab? And women in France
who are forced to remove
their hijab by men? What do
you say about that?” “Well, that’s different.” “What difference? The woman
who asked you to wear hijab…
she was a woman, right?” “Right, but…” “But fashions that are designed
and promoted by male-
dominated corporations, set
you free? Men have no control
on exposing women and using
them as a commodity?! Give me a break!” “Wait, let me finish, I was
saying…” “Saying what? You think that
men control women by hijab?” “Yes.” “Specifically how?” “By telling women how and
what to wear, dummy!” “Doesn’t TV, magazines and
movies tell you what to wear,
and how to be ‘attractive’?” “Of course, it’s fashion.” “Isn’t that control? Pressuring
you to wear what they want
you to wear?” [Silence] “Not just controlling you, but
also controlling the market.” “What do you mean?” “I mean, you are told to look
skinny and anorexic like that
woman on the cover of the
magazine, by men who design
those magazines and sell those
products.” “I don’t get it. What does hijab
have to do with products.” “It has everything to do with
that. Don’t you see? Hijab is a
threat to consumerism, women
who spend billions of dollars to
look skinny and live by
standards of fashion designed by men… and then here is
Islam, saying trash all that
nonsense and focus on your
soul, not on your looks, and do
not worry what men think of
your looks.” “Like I don’t have to buy hijab?
Isn’t hijab a product?” “Yes, it is. It is a product that
sets you free from male-
dominated consumerism.” “Stop lecturing me! I WILL NOT
WEAR HIJAB! It is awkward, outdated, and
totally not suitable for this
society… Moreover, I am only
20 and too young to wear
hijab!” “Fine. Say that to your Lord,
when you face Him on
Judgment Day.” “Fine.” “Fine.” [Silence] “Shut up and I don’t want to
hear more about hijab niqab
schmijab Punjab!” [Silence] She stared at the mirror, tired
of arguing with herself all this
time. Successful enough, she
managed to shut the voices in
her head, with her own
opinions triumphant in victory
on the matter, and a final
modern decision accepted by the society – but rejected by
the Faith: “Yes!” – to curls on the hair -
“No!” – to hijab! “And he (/she) is indeed a
failure who corrupts it [the
soul]!” [Noble Quran 91:10] Subhana’Allah!!! “Nay! You prefer the life of this
world; While the hereafter is
better and more lasting.” [Noble Quran 87:16-17] “You are the best community
(Ummah) raised up for (the
benefit of) humanity;
enjoining what is right and
forbidding what is wrong and
believing in Allah.” [Noble Quran 3:110]
