A Hijabi’s Voice by N.H. Zamri

Assalamualaikum (peace be upon you). I have this topic bouncing in my mind and the urgency to talk about it is authentic. Many people are aware of the hijab and many people accept those who wear it these days. But I don’t dare say the population of disagreeing with it is minority.

I started wearing the hijab when I was around 9-11 years old. I nailed my Syrian hijab. I nailed it perfectly, haha. Before I put on the actual piece of cloth, I’d wear serkuk (one of many types of serkuk, usually not allowed to be worn at school) and thought it was stylish enough. I was a fool; I authorize this. But hey, it eventually led to a bigger picture - I wore a hijab and I still do!

Being a hijabi in Muslim countries doesn’t allow Muslimah to deal with awful oppression like how our sisters in the West and other countries do. Well, Muslimah in Muslim countries are oppressed in other ways, directly and indirectly. You know it better. I get it; a crowd of people think we have bombs underneath our hijabs. They think we have guns underneath the cloth that we (Muslim women) use to cover our heads. Some people in our community decide so much for hijabis it becomes irritating and completely unacceptable. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to give my two cents. We hijabis do not have bombs with us. Our money thinks owning a gun is extrinsic. My parents didn’t force me to wear the hijab. No one did. I chose to. And I don’t mind to welcome opinions from the public about the hijab but sometimes their action isn’t necessary - you want to give some advice with some acts of downgrading while doing so? Perhaps I’m showing my arrogance but no thanks. I said what I said.

At the end of the day, my hijab is just a piece of cloth, where hiding bombs or weapons or any dangerous thing possible is out of its capability. I wear the hijab as a resemblance of me, presenting my faith. My hijab is a great friend of mine - I have a reason to be strong and believe in Allah everyday. The hijab that I wear persuades and encourages me to be a girl of faith. This is one of my ways to be a better Muslim; that is, by covering my aurah. And I have the rights to let the hijab embrace me and be my company, because it doesn’t make me an alien or a monster. I’m just a human being who doesn’t show my hair and some parts of my body to the world. Just like other people who wear clothes that represent their faith, the action of wearing the hijab is how I present myself as someone who believes in Islam - as a Muslim woman.

I’m Hanis - a Muslim, a hijabi, a human being.

Refer to {Quran 12:101}. That’s my main goal. May Allah keep us under His powerful protection.