The Complicated Life of the Hijab In America

Written By: Leila Osman

The hijab is one of the most controversial and misunderstood articles of clothing. They are most commonly known to be worn by Muslim women, putting muhajabbas at the forefront of prejudice towards Muslims. Many non-Muslims believe the headscarf to be a sign of oppression. But what most non-Muslim people do not know is the true purpose of the hijab, and the beauty behind it’s meaning in Islamic culture.

History of The Hijab

Travelers in Morocco, where the “Moroccan headscarf” is encouraged to be worn. Extreme heat makes head protective scarves necessary

Retrieved from: https://travel-information.org/what-to-wear-in-morocco/

The first mention of the headscarf in history can be traced as far back as Mesopotamian times. Out of necessity, people wore coverings over their heads to protect them from natural elements such as desert storms and extreme rain or sun. In the 13th century BC, headscarf’s were worn by women as a sign of piety. Since they were forbidden to be worn by prostitutes and women of lower classes, headscarves were a sign of higher status. In places like Saudi Arabia, hijabs were worn as a protective gear many years before Islam originated.

In Arabic, “hijab” means barrier or partition. However, in Islam, the hijab carries much more meaning than what it does for one physically. Many people are falsely under the impression that all Muslim women are forced to wear the hijab, but no where in the Quran does it mention a hijab mandate. Instead, the Quran only stresses for followers to guard their modesty. Women who wear the hijab CHOOSE to wear it for many different reasons. It is mentioned in the Quran “Let there be no compulsion in religion” (2:256), so if a woman is being forced to cover up, it is likely due to social and political pressures depending on where they live. To many Muslim women, wearing the hijab is “is an outer manifestation of an inner commitment to worship God.” It is their daily reminder of their faith, and their dedication to their faith.

While I don’t personally wear the hijab, I respect every Muslim woman that does because of the adversity they face. The visible identity of the hijab makes muhajabba’s (women who wear the hijab) easy targets of harassment, microaggression, and discrimination.

The Rise of Islamophobia

In colonial days of America, European Colonizers deemed their own culture and traditions as the norm for society, making it easy for them to create their own narrative about Orients. Orientalism is the representation of Asian and Middle Eastern cultures in a negative stereotypical way, often “embodying a colonialist attitude”. Over time, orientalism has evolved into Islamophobia, creating the false narrative that Muslims are terrorists and extremists. Despite there being over 50 majority-Muslim countries with entirely diverse cultures, Muslims are still seen as one group of people. Xenophobic feelings towards Muslims come from a place of ignorance and lack of knowledge about Islam.

Depicted is a muhajabba standing in front of the most common stereotypes associated with Muslims in the United States.

Retrieved from: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2018/3/12/rethinking-islamophobia-2

After 9/11, every Muslim in America felt the same thing: fear of the impending struggles that would lie ahead. Many Americans lost loved ones on 9/11, and America as a whole had taken a dagger to the heart. High on emotion and uneducated of the true intentions of Islam, people allowed the media to infiltrate's their minds, painting a picture that all Muslims were dangerous. Things that are meant to be a beautiful part of the religion became things that could actually put you in danger, or make you feel inadequate.

I remember when I was younger, I was afraid to tell people I was Muslim because I knew that some of my classmates would treat me different. And they did. In the fifth grade after asking a classmate to play hopscotch with me, she declined and said she “didn’t play with terrorists”. Although I was lucky enough to know better than to believe that girl, I will never forget the way that comment made me feel .

Islamophobia was very much present in schools up until recent decades. Growing up in a New York public school I was never taught about Islam. At a young age, we were always told not to talk about our views on politics and religion because they were the two most sensitive subjects. The exclusion of religion in the earlier years of school is a mistake that has lead to widespread ignorance of the many cultures and religions of others. If the acceptance of the cultures/religions of others are not taught as fundamental values schools, how can we expect fully grown adults to accept each other? It all starts at the beginning. The recent increase in inclusion of diverse religions and cultures in school curriculums has made the newest generation of Americans more understanding and accepting of their peers at a younger age.

Although society has progressively become more inclusive towards Muslim people, “a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted ahead of the (20th) 9/11 anniversary found that 53% of Americans have unfavorable views toward Islam, compared with 42% who have favorable ones.” This statistic is frightening considering how far we have come as a society in the last 20 years. The truth is, it is a lot easier for people to cling to their bias opinions than it is for them to take accountability for their lack of knowledge on a subject. If people focused more on educating themselves on topics they know nothing about, so much ignorance could be avoided, and so many people’s emotions could be spared.

Appreciation? or Appropriation?

Dolce and Gabbana’s 2016 Abaya and Hijab Collection

Retrieved from https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/news/a52535/muslim-women-respond-to-dolce-and-gabbana-hijabi-line/

In 2016, Dolce and Gabbana released a new collection of abayas (traditional robes that modestly cover the body) and hijabs. It was a large point of contention for Muslim women because on one hand, they were finally receiving some recognition on the runway. Adversely, many Muslim women were enraged that the models themselves were not of a Muslim or Arab background, making the show seem more like appropriation than appreciation.

The recent inclusion of the hijab in high fashion has followed a bottom-up model of diffusion. Previously, fashion companies had no interest in marketing towards Muslim women because it would most likely cause an outrage among certain loyal American customers. Now that society has evolved to become more inclusive, it is financially beneficial for companies to move past the fear of possibly angering their consumer base so that they can capitalize on the largely untapped market of hijab fashion.

“Hijabista’s”

Yasemin Kanar, 25, a social media fashion blogger, demonstrates how the hijab can be incorporated into stylish outfits.

Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/17/fashion/muslim-women-hijab-style-traditional-garment-fashion.html

Regardless of the intentions of clothing companies, the representation of Muslim women in American fashion is making a great impact on the Muslim American population. For so long, muhajabbas have faced adversity and negative feelings about wearing the hijab. They have also endured years of simple looking hijab styles, and neutral colors trying not to stand out too much.

Social media has allowed for muhajabbas women to form a community of sisters worldwide, known as “hijabistas”. Applications such as TikTok and Instagram have given muhajabbas a platform to express themselves, and inspire others to do the same. They have managed to showcase their style while maintaining the modesty that Islam encourages.

The hijab has undergone a drastic transformation in today’s society, with Muslim women wearing bolder styles of hijab. As seen in the photo on the right, a social media fashion blogger by the name of Yasemin Kanar is serving a bold and sophisticated look, incorporating her clothing’s design onto the hijab itself.

In 2021, anything is possible when it comes to fashion, and the future for hijab is bright. In the coming years, keep an eye out for companies that begin to take an interest in the untapped market of hijab fashion. The market is far too large for companies to hold on to their prejudices rather than their wallets.

References:

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Alston, A. C. N. (2021, January 8). Conservative, rebellious, culture-defining: A brief history of the headscarf. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/headscarf-brief-history/index.html

Beydoun, K. A. (2018, March 12). Rethinking Islamophobia. Islamophobia | Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2018/3/12/rethinking-islamophobia-2

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Gupta, P. (2016, January 22). What 5 Muslim Women Think About Dolce & Gabbana’s New Hijab Line. Cosmopolitan. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/news/a52535/muslim-women-respond-to-dolce-and-gabbana-hijabi-line/

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M. (2018, December 4). What to Wear in Morocco (The dress code you have to know). Travel Information. https://travel-information.org/what-to-wear-in-morocco/

Salem, O. (2019, April 1). Perspective | what Westerners get wrong about the hijab. The Washington Post. Retrieved September 27, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2018/08/17/what-westerners-get-wrong-about-the-hijab/.

Seligson, H. (2014, August 24). Muslim Women Add Personal Style to a Traditional Garment. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/17/fashion/muslim-women-hijab-style-traditional-garment-fashion.html

Syahrivar, J. (2020, July 23). Hijab No More: A Phenomenological Study. Journal of Religion and Health. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10943-020-01068-7?error=cookies_not_supported&code=5dfddd8c-bb18-463d-853e-e6e59e81984c

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Two decades after 9/11, Muslim Americans still fighting bias. (2021, September 7). AP NEWS. https://apnews.com/article/September-11-Muslim-Americans-93f97dd9219c25371428f4268a2b33b4