On Tuesday, the BGS community united for the 10th annual World Hijab Day, which was founded by Nazma Khan on 1st February, 2013 as a way to recognise all Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab.
The wearing of the hijab is often a very personal decision, for many, it gives a sense of community and spiritual identity. However, it is also used as a form of oppression in some countries. World Hijab Day sets out to challenge misconceptions, demystify the myths and stand in solidarity with Muslim women in communities around the world.
Our students had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the hijab with their peers and also tried on the headscarves in different styles. View photos here.
Here are some personal reflections from students and staff:
Miss Choudhury (Junior School Teaching Assistant): “What a brilliant turn out today was in regards to students trying on hijabs! Pupils from each year group took turns to come to the school library to try on the hijabs, whilst there were discussions with inquisitive questions such as; ‘what is the hijab? what does it represent? what religion does the hijab belong to?’ and many more. This demonstrates how the students had genuine interest to learn about the hijab. Many students even wore the hijab for the rest of the school day, and some wore it home saying ‘it feels comfortable’ ‘I feel better with it on than off’. Students also demonstrated their emotional intelligence and critical thinking after trying on the hijab saying ‘your head feels hot with it on, how do you wear it all day’. What a brilliant day and such an important one where open discussions were able to be had in a learning environment. I can only emphasise how celebrating different cultural/religious days are very important for representation, as well as to understand different ideas, beliefs and views”.
Miss Higginson (Head of Year 9): “I definitely felt there was a sense of pride from our Muslim community yesterday and for all of us. It was a real opportunity to learn, support, understand and stand together. I observed a student who said ‘’I never thought I’d be doing this for a teacher!’, combined with a joyful smile and laugh whilst fitting the teacher’s hijab.”
Aafiya Alam (Lower Sixth): “At BGS, this year was the first time World Hijab Day has been celebrated, and I am honoured to be part of the event and share my religion with everyone in school. As well as an informative assembly, I think that the trying on of hijabs at breaktime was a brilliant idea because it helped people understand what it’s like to be a hijabi and the different ways people use it to express themselves. At first, I wasn’t sure that people would be interested in learning about the hijab, but I was very impressed by how well the event was received by both students and staff. I hope that it has made hijabis within the school feel more confident and recognised by their peers. I look forward to any other diversity events coming up to teach us about religions and cultures to make the school a more inclusive place.”
Lucie Bridgman (Upper Sixth): “As a non-Muslim, I don’t know a lot about the hijab. I also have only one hijabi friend and while I did try to learn a bit more about the hijab and Islam in general, I could never fully understand the importance of wearing it. I’ve even watched my friend debate the importance of it with other school friends and while she was very passionate about defending the hijab, I still never really viewed it as a massively important part of Islam. But for many people, it is. Talking to the students that helped me dress in one for the day, you truly get a sense that wearing the hijab is not something that should be viewed as some kind of double standard. Some students told me about how for them it showed their piety and expressed their love for their faith for everyone to see, others explained how they felt liberated by wearing one, how, by covering themselves, someone would only be able to judge them by their character and that was honestly an angle I had never considered before.
“Wearing one for the day was definitely an experience. Maybe it was just because my scarf was black and red but I did feel very noticeable, which is something I usually try to avoid. But it is this ability to be noticed as a Muslim that convinces many people to wear the hijab. I often keep my own faith very hidden, so I have to admire the courage of people who are willing to show themselves not only in front of their god but also to other people, who then might single them out because of their faith. It’s something that I could not begin to understand but I am still in awe of how well the hijab shows not only piety but also bravery.”
Rihana Sultana & Minnat Raheem (Year 9): “World Hijab Day is a day where we celebrate hijabis and we raise awareness of the issues Muslim women face every day, stand in solidarity with them and to help challenge the misconceptions of what wearing the hijab is like. For us (Muslims), wearing the hijab is an act of being closer with our religion and Allah and an act of devotion. However, we may also wear the hijab for other personal reasons such as ‘freeing yourself from societal norms and being proud of your identity’, as an act of empowerment or as a sign of cultural identity.”
“As a hijabi, I felt really proud seeing people of other cultures wearing hijabs with no humiliation on their faces and it made me happy to remember that not everyone was against Islam and hijab. It was a big surprise for me to see so many people show up at the iCreate space to try on hijabs and take photos, and many nice hijabis helped to put them on.”
“Wearing the hijab on World Hijab Day was an interesting experience, it took quite some time putting it on but when I did it, I felt really proud and confident. It was also very nice helping people and seeing them so excited to try out the hijab.”
