The New York Times recently published a "guide[1]" to Muslim headscarves. The article intended to illuminate an Islamic concept that promotes modesty, but the associated images showed styles specific to a few countries and all of the silhouettes were faceless. These types of portrayals can contribute to a misperception[2] among some that Muslim women who don the headscarf may lack agency.
In today's political climate, the headscarf has become more than just a spiritual symbol of modesty. At one point, women working in government positions were not allowed to wear it in Turkey[3]. In France, the niqab -- a version of the headscarf that covers the face -- is banned[4]. In the field of counterterrorism, some view the headscarf as a manifestation of extremism[5]. And as the number of Islamophobic attacks[6] continues to rise in the United States so, too, does the fear among Muslim women, especially those who wear hijab, that they'll be victims of violence[7].
In light of this, The Huffington Post asked women from all over the Internet to show just how beautifully diverse the hijab can be[8] using the hashtag #HijabToMe. By showing the many different ways women choose to tie their hijab and the various meanings it takes for them, we hope to offer readers a glimpse into the diversity of Muslim women who don the headscarf. Muslim women were asked to post a picture of themselves along with a brief description of what wearing the hijab means to them.
Check out the compelling images and join the conversation in the comments section below using the hashtag #HijabToMe.
References
- ^ guide (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ misperception (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ not allowed to wear it in Turkey (news.nationalgeographic.com)
- ^ banned (www.bbc.com)
- ^ manifestation of extremism (theintercept.com)
- ^ the number of Islamophobic attacks (www.huffingtonpost.com)
- ^ victims of violence (www.huffingtonpost.com)
- ^ beautifully diverse the hijab can be (www.huffingtonpost.com)
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