[pictured is an image of text that reads: Question: if I see someone pull off a Hijab, what should I do? I know there are reasons they are worn so I want to know if i should stand in between them and who did this, should i protect them from view somehow, or something else? This has been happening a lot so I feel it’s something everyone needs to know.]
Several people have recently asked me to respond with what action you should take if you see someone’s hijab forcibly removed or if you see a hijabi/Muslim being harassed. Here are some of the basics:
If a hijabi has their hijab forcibly removed and the attackers leave, cover them. If you’re wearing a jacket or you have a scarf or some other article of clothing, you should give it to them so they can cover themselves. This is definitely the action that I would prefer before anything else. Shielding them from view if you don’t have anything that you can give them is another option, or asking “What can I do to help you?” (because I’m sure every hijabi reacts differently to this kind of thing) is also a good response. After this, if you’re willing and they want you to (again, make sure you ask), you can assist them somewhere like a bathroom, a store, their car, etc. so they can get to a safe space and fix their hijab/call a friend/etc.
If a hijabi has their hijab forcibly removed and the attackers don’t leave, there are several possibilities. Obviously you shouldn’t do nothing. A lot of the times, attackers will stop if someone else gets involved especially if you are with a group of people but also even if you’re just by yourself. This is a link to a YouTube video of a social experiment where one person forcibly removes someone’s hijab. Despite that there was no real threat, everyone who reacted did so in a way that I would suggest doing. Standing up for them from a distance that you feel safe doing so (because you obviously can’t disregard your own safety) does makes a difference. Saying something like “leave them alone” “what are you doing” “stop doing that” “don’t do that” “don’t touch them” etc. are all perfectly acceptable things to say in the moment. Again, giving them something to cover themselves with if you have something is always a good thing to do.
In situations where it has not yet escalated to someone’s hijab being forcibly removed, gauge the situation. Here is one graphic that illustrates what to do if someone is yelling islamophobic things at a hijabi/Muslim. If you are not sure if something is going to turn into harassment but you’re worried it might, simply staying with the hijabi/Muslim and making sure they aren’t along is good too (this is a link to one story in particular that is a really good example of this).
Whatever you do: do not just walk away. Do not just assume that someone else will stop or that the hijabi/Muslim can handle it on their own. Walking away in this situation makes you complicit in islamophobia and islamophobic hate crimes. Your reaction says just as much about you as it does about the person forcibly removing someone’s hijab or harassing them.
Another thing: I would not recommend calling the police unless the situation is particularly violent (if the hijabi/Muslim is physically harmed, bleeding, not responding, etc. then don’t hesitate to call, of course) and/or if it’s absolutely and completely dangerous for you to do anything else. Most of the time the police are just as islamophobic as our attackers and will not do anything to help us or will make it particularly difficult for us after they do.
If you have a friend who observes hijab, make sure to ask them what they would like you to do if this ever happens. I’ve seen a lot of people say that they always carry a scarf with them in case they’re ever in this situation, and I don’t think that’s a bad idea. Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask in the moment if you can as well. Again, be mindful of your own safety and discomfort, but please make sure that you are mindful of hijabi/Muslim folks’ safety and discomfort too. That really makes all the difference.
