- You know what they say,
you can't be a Muslim robin if you're not hijab-in.
- What?
That makes zero sense!
- Yeah but it rhymes!
(upbeat music)
To say all Muslim women wear hijabs
would be like saying all hipsters in Brooklyn
drink fancy coffee while riding unicycles.
That would be inaccurate and, frankly, ignorant
because only 47% of Brooklyn hipsters ride unicycles.
But bad hipster jokes aside, the truth of the matter is
the hijab in America seems to get
a disproportionate amount of attention
considering that only 38% of Muslim American women
wear a hijab in public all the time.
And since Muslims only make up about
one percent of the US population,
this means we're really only talking about 650,000 people,
which sounds like a lot but our country is really big.
But before we can understand that bigger picture,
it's probably a good idea to know exactly what the hijab is
and why do some Muslim women choose to wear it.
Let's check in with my friend Fareeha Khan
to get a better understanding.
- Thanks Franchesca!
Okay, for starters, what is a hijab?
Good first question, y'all.
In Arabic, hijab translates to cover.
Alright, cool, got it.
But wait, there's a twist!
There is not one but many types of veils.
Yeah, it's slideshow time.
First, we have the classic square scarf
that covers the hair and neck, commonly worn in the West.
This is what is mostly known as a hijab.
This can also be referred to as a khimar or also a shayla.
Oh the variety of ways to wear them, huh.
Next up, the chador is a long cloak popular in Iran.
Similar to the hijab, shayla and khimar,
the chador covers the hair and keeps the face clear
but drapes down to the feet.
Black is the most popular color
but sometimes they got fun patterns, too.
The niqab covers the face and body
but leaves the eyes clear.
These are commonly worn in Saudi Arabia,
South Asia, and North Africa.
Finally, burqas cover the entire face and body
leaving a small mesh screen over the eyes.
Burqas are worn most often in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Whoa, so many variations, so many styles!
So many ways to do you.
Or you could be like me that one time when I was 10
and I forgot to bring a hijab to Sunday school
and instead I just put a T-shirt
over my head and went to class.
Everyone called me T-shirt girl, that was my bad.
I'm sorry I brought shame to my family.
Le's move on!
Second off, what are the multiple reasons
women choose to wear a hijab?
Very astute second question gang slash script writers.
Some women choose to wear hijabs
because they interpret the Koran, the teachings from God,
as suggesting they dress modestly to protect
from unwanted harassment based on their appearance.
It's an expression of their faith.
As a side note, truly insane to realize
street harassers have been around since religion!
Dang dudes!
But for other Muslim American women, it's not so much
about religious faith as it is cultural identity.
In a way, we're all just out here trying to rep who we are.
Some American Muslims choose to wear hijabs
because they want to express their identity to the world.
Think about how, for example, some Christians like to wear
crosses even if they don't go to church every week
or how vegans always find a way
to bring up their lifestyle in casual conversation.
Because for lots of people, being Muslim
is not just about religion, it's also about growing up
in a community of like-minded people
tied together by food, family, and good times.
In fact, the attitudes that American Muslims have
about the importance of their religion
in their day-to-day lives
are shockingly similar to Christian Americans.
Check out these stats!
We're basically the same!
Also, it's worth noting that the laws
around hijab vary by country.
Some countries require women to wear hijabs, such as Iran,
and some countries have banned
the hijab completely, such as France.
However, putting laws on how women choose to express
their faith and identity is repressive.
That is essentially a country projecting onto a woman
how she should look and act,
which we all know is oppressive as hell.
That's why the fact that America allows the freedom
to choose whether or not to wear a hijab
is such a beautiful thing for the Muslim community.
So yeah, you heard it here first from a Muslim girl herself.
America is tight, what's up Bill of Rights?
Okay, but does every Muslim woman wear a hijab?
No!
On the flip side, many Muslim women
choose not to wear hijabs for a variety of reasons.
For example, there are Muslim women who acknowledge
that the Koran teaches modesty but they don't interpret
wearing a hijab as a specific religious commandment.
I personally choose not to wear a hijab.
The way I grew up, I didn't wear a hijab
except for when my family went to the mosque,
which was mostly for Sunday school
and for Eid celebrations which happen twice a year.
And if you don't know what Eid is,
it's like Christmas for Muslims.
It's a big party, we have a good time
and we live to eat, baby!
In addition, wearing a hijab in the Western world
can actually draw more attention
and at times harassment to women
which is the exact opposite goal
of what the Koran even intended.
For example, there have been reports of women
who have been attacked in public for wearing hijabs.
News stories have aired of people freaking out
about Sharia law when a group of young girls wearing hijabs
got their own swim class at a YMCA in Minnesota.
Cot dang!
Unfortunately, these acts are based
on a larger misinterpretation that all Muslims are somehow
involved or connected to terrorism which is simply not true.
Islam's core teachings are peace
and love for all human beings.
Just like any culture or religion,
there are groups of people within it
who choose to act in extreme and terrible ways
but those people do not define the whole population.
There are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world.
We are not all the exact same
or even practice Islam in the same way.
For me, my Muslim identity was built on
going to Sunday school as a kid
to hang out with my friends a bunch,
trying to be the Sunday school class clown,
convincing the boys to let me play football with them
in the parking lot because I had a crush on this one kid
and then trying to sneak in
as much food as possible at Eid parties.
Totally!
I'm proud of my Muslim heritage!
Even if I don't pray five times a day
or I'm not like super religious
which my dad says I'm lazy for but I just think I'm chill,
being Muslim is part of my identity
and it makes up who I am.
I wouldn't be the same without my cultural background.
- Thanks, that was super insightful Fareeha.
So it seems Islam has a lot of different perspectives
but I think the most important thing that I learned is,
Muslims, they love to eat a lot at parties.
But who doesn't?
Special thanks to Fareeha for helping out this week.
Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time
right here on Decoded.
(upbeat music)
So did you really wear a T-shirt over your head
to Sunday school that one time?
- Yeah.
(mumbling)