Comment on a post on fb about a Muslim model wearing a hijab for H&M and already receiving stereotypical bs. Please, I’ve heard them all before.
No I was not forced to wear the hijab, I chose the hijab life on my own will. Yes, there were some factors that influenced me to start wearing it: Saturday religious classes and my mother who only started wearing the hijab less than ten years before I did. But neither of them forced it onto me. I decided to wear it one morning at the age of 9 because I wanted to be a practicing Muslimah. Are people that surprised Muslim women have a freedom of choice and will? That they too can choose to wear the hijab/niqab/burqa as to other women who choose to buy Kim Kardashian’s bags or indulge in Victoria Secret’s under garments? Or are people just feeding onto what the mainstream media are constantly broadcasting on repeat?
No one brainwashed this “sheep” into it. Like I said, freedom of choice. Just like the nuns choose to dedicate their lives to their faith and wear the habit and reside in a convent. Why aren’t people calling them brainwashed?
Radicalism is seen in every religion, unfortunately. Currently, the media has a fascination with I.S at the moment. I am not denying that this group is a threat, because they are. But when people start to think that these guys represent Islam as a whole, that’s when I have to step in and say no, they don’t. That’s like saying the Crusade represents the whole Catholic Church or the Extremist Buddhist in Myanmar represents the whole Buddhist community. Let us not forget the 2011 Norway attack by Anders Behring Breivik who is a far-right terrorist (yes, I am calling him that because he did terrorise people). These people carried out their attack all in the name of their religion/belief too. But I do not see them as representative of their faith. Religion do not condone act of terrorism and hurting one another, but instead show humanity and peace. And, surprise, surprise, Islam is the same as well.
مِنْ أَجْلِ ذلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَى بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْساً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً وَمَنْ أَحْيَـهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً
“Because of that, We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.” (5: 32)
We’re taught to love and respect other human beings regardless of their ethnicity, beliefs, status, whatever! Despite all that explanation, I do not see how a hijab is linked to radicalism. We’re not defying anyone.
Hijab wearers want to draw attention to themselves? Right...because my hijab is screaming out “Hey guys! Look at me, look at me! I’m wearing a hijab! Senpai, notice me!”. Our intention on wearing the hijab is not to draw attention or please other people. We wear it for the sake of Allah, God, because we want to please Him.
So yes, I’ve heard them all. I don’t want to judge trolls for their lack of knowledge and ignorance. It isn’t hard asking and listening to people about their belief. And when I mean people, I mean those who are practicing it, who live by it. Hate and ignorance will always be lurking in this world but if people take the chance to understand others, to tolerate diversity, then we’ll have less hate and more love in this world.
