A BROADFIELD schoolgirl has launched a campaign aimed at changing perceptions of people who wear a hijab.
Laiba Baig, from Teasel Close, has been given $3,000 (£2,000) by Twitter to fund the project after pitching her idea at a Dragons' Den-style competition in London.
The Holy Trinity schoolgirl feels as though some people judge or stereotype her simply because she is wearing the veil.
She said: "When people stare at me because I wear a hijab it makes me feel like a target and can make me self-conscious.
"You should accept people for who they are, not force them to wear the hijab but accept them if they are wearing one and not treat them any differently."
RELATED: Young Crawley Imam urges all Muslims to speak out and condemn terrorism[2]
Laiba believes that older generations can learn from people of her age how to be more accepting of everyone in society.
She said: "Nowadays it is not uncommon to see a girl wearing the hijab in a classroom.
"There is a difference in perceptions between older and younger generations.
"It's not the older generations' fault, because they didn't grow up with as much diversity as we do now."
The 16-year-old believes the recent terror attacks in Paris and Brussels have caused some people to be more judgemental of anyone wearing a hijab.
But through her campaign she wants to celebrate some of the women who wear a hijab who are achieving incredible things in the world.
She added: "There are so many famous positive role models I look up to who are successful and wear the hijab.
"Nadiya Hussain, who recently won the Great British Bake Off, Mariah Idrissi, the first model for H&M to wear the hijab and American fencer Ibithaj Muhammed, who was the first Muslim woman who wears a hijab to qualify for the United States' Olympic team."
RELATED: New Holy Trinity head promises football banter and open door for pupils and parents[3]
Laiba joined a group called Young Leaders at her school and through this was invited to pitch her campaign to Twitter last month.
She hasn't yet decided exactly how she will spend the money, which has to be used on her campaign.
But she hopes to use it to encourage people to become more accepting of the hijab so some women and girls don't feel forced into removing it just to fit in.
She explained: "Isolation leads many girls to lose confidence in their image because of society's norms – many girls end up removing the hijab as a way of ending the isolation.
"I want to demolish the 'norms' and allow people to introduce their cultures and customs without feeling judged."
The Year 11 pupil wants to educate people about why women choose to wear the hijab.
She added: "It does not mean the person is any different.
"I want to inspire people from other cultures and ethnicities to bring out their differences and help society become more accepting of diversity."
Laiba created the Twitter profile @ModestMovement_ in February, which now has 324 followers, and from which she will promote her campaign.
Another Crawley pupil has been offered funding by Twitter to expand his idea of campaigning to lower university fees.[4]
References
- ^ Comments (0) (www.crawleynews.co.uk)
- ^ Young Crawley Imam urges all Muslims to speak out and condemn terrorism (www.crawleynews.co.uk)
- ^ New Holy Trinity head promises football banter and open door for pupils and parents (www.crawleynews.co.uk)
- ^ Another Crawley pupil has been offered funding by Twitter to expand his idea of campaigning to lower university fees. (www.crawleynews.co.uk)
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