In 1979 my grandfather made the decision to leave behind their home in Syria and move to the U.S. to start a new life. The plan was that my grandfather would arrive in California and then my grandmother would follow along with their seven children. Their American Airlines flight #191 reservations included a stop in New York and then a connection in Chicago before finally arriving in California. Once they landed in New York, all immigrants had to apply for a green card before their next destination.
My aunt Hala had recently started wearing the hijab and they asked her to remove it for the photo. She said no. They consistently informed her that she would not be able to move or go to their next flight until she took this photo but she insisted on her rights. My grandmother became impatient, having flown half way across the globe and spent close to their life savings on these tickets, she did not want to miss the next flight out to California.
My grandmother pleaded and told her to remove her hijab but my aunt continued to refuse. They called her into the back and she told them it doesn’t matter how many people you call in, I will not remove my hijab for this photo. After the officers called their supervisors and three brutal hours later, they finally released my aunt and allowed her to keep her hijab on for the photo. However, by then it was too late, the entire family had missed their connecting flight and had to purchase new plane tickets. Furious and upset, my grandmother lectured my aunt during the whole flight to California.
By the time they finally landed at LAX, California, my grandfather greeted them with the biggest hug and was in tears. He kept repeating “Hamdulilah you’re alive! Hamdulilah you’re alive!” To which they replied “well yeah, why wouldn’t we be?” He said, “The original flight you were supposed to get on crashed, and all 271 passengers died.” This is my aunt’s passport photo. This photo is a symbol of my aunt’s bravery and love for her hijab that saved my family’s life.
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