As Muslim women around the world celebrate “World Hijab Day” on Feb. 1, I wanted to share my experience as a Muslim girl who has been wearing a Hijab for the majority of her life.

I began wearing the hijab at a very early age. So early, that I cannot even remember when I “officially” put it on. People often assume that since I, and other girls, chose to put it on at an early age, then we must have been forced. But in reality, it was a conscious choice that many of us made on our terms. 

Since middle school, I have always been one of the only hijab-wearing students in the school, and most likely the first visibly Muslim many have come across. Due to this, I was met with curious questions and remarks regarding my hijab. I also felt as if I had to speak and carry myself a certain way, as if I was a walking figure of my religion. I knew that people would reflect my actions upon my religion.

My earliest memory of seeing myself represented in pop media was on the cover of a graphic novel. The book displayed a hijab-wearing character on the cover. I wasted no time walking over to the shelf it was displayed on, overloaded with excitement. I immediately took the novel home and eagerly showed it to my family.

At that time, hijab-wearing content creators or popular figures that now exist on all social media platforms were not prevalent. Whenever we were represented, it was always in an inaccurate, Islamophobic way in which the character takes off her hijab to feel “liberated.”

Defying social norms is one of my favorite aspects of being a hijabi. I like that I do not conform to the ideas that society imposes on women, especially when it comes to appearance. Additionally, I like that I am resisting the social pressure to remove my hijab despite their persistent efforts to spread false narratives and stereotypes. Rather, I feel empowered to continue wearing it to disprove their ideas.

Fast forward to today, I am thrilled to see Muslim women take up leadership roles while wearing their hijabs unapologetically. We continue to stand firm in our identity and be true to who we are as we are faced with all the obstacles, false stereotypes and doubts that people have about our intelligence. 

As I reflect on my journey as a hijabi, I want to also commend all hijab-wearing women around the globe, especially ones living in Western countries because it is not just a display of faith, but it is a display of resilience and strength.

Share