Daily Times

Sir: Growing up as a Muslim girl in the modern era is an entirely different experience. Since an early age, I was taught to be a very practicing Muslim girl. I saw that my mother always used to wear hijab (head scarf). I myself started wearing hijab at the age of 12 in middle school. The 1st February is known as World Hijab Day. This day was inspired by Nazma Khan, an American citizen. She experienced the negative side of practicing hijab after 9/11. She faced different kinds of harassment, and decided to stand against this oppression. She created the World Hijab Day, and tried to encourage women to wear hijab. At the same time, hijab day also aims to stop the physical judgment of women, and promote judgment based on intellectual abilities. After practicing Hijab, the way people viewed me was amazing and the amount of respect I received was incredible. There are many boys and girls who use inappropriate language, but when I am around them, they avoid that kind of talk. Hijab shielded me from the impact of peer pressure. I got some non-Muslim friends and I am frequently asked by them why I cover. I always try my best to remove their misconceptions about Islam and my choice of wearing my scarf. Hijab is not a new concept; it’s been observed by women of many religious backgrounds. Hijab gave me self-confidence, made me a stronger person, and helped me understand my purpose of life and freed me from peer pressure.

RAMSHA SHAHID

Lahore