World Hijab Day Explained

World Hijab Day
Date:1 February
Frequency:Annual
Founder Name:Nazma Khan

World Hijab Day is an annual event founded by Nazma Khan in 2013,[1] taking place on 1 February each year in 140 countries worldwide.[2] Its stated purpose is to encourage women of all religions and backgrounds to wear and experience the hijab for a day and to educate and spread awareness on why hijab is worn.[3] Nazma Khan said her goal was also to promote wider acceptance of hijab wearing as well as combating religious discrimination.[4]

Background

See also: Hijabophobia. The hijab is a type of head covering worn by many Muslim women as a sign of faith, similar to the tichel or snood in Orthodox Judaism,[5] the mantilla, apostolnik, and wimple in Christianity, and the dupatta in Hinduism and Sikhism. Hijab comes in various forms.[6] [7] [8]

Hijab-wearing Muslim women face both overt and covert discrimination in job applications and workplace environments, with covert bias often resulting in more hostile treatment.[9]

Nazma Khan, a Bangladeshi-American, launched World Hijab Day (WHD) in 2013. She said that her aim was "to raise awareness and normalize the wearing of a hijab." Khan added that she launched the day due hoping for "foster[ing] religious tolerance" given experiences of facing "discrimination and bullying in school and university by being spat on, chased, kicked and called a “terrorist”." This way, other women would not have the same experiences as "she had to endure."[4]

Since its inception, World Hijab Day has invited women from all faiths and backgrounds to wear the hijab on February 1st in solidarity with Muslim women worldwide. The initiative seeks to combat stereotypes about Muslim women and address the growing concerns of Islamophobia, especially in light of laws perceived as discriminatory like Quebec's Bill 21,[10] which bans religious symbols, and violent anti-Muslim incidents.[4] [11]

Official recognition

In 2017 New York State recognized World Hijab Day, and an event marking the day was hosted at the House of Commons, which was attended by Theresa May (former UK Prime Minister).[12] The House of Representatives of the Philippines approved 1 February as "annual national hijab day" to promote an understanding of the Muslim tradition in 2021.[13]

Criticism

A. J. Caschetta criticizes the choice of February 1 for World Hijab Day as distasteful, arguing that it coincides with Ayatollah Khomeini's return to Iran, which led to the enforcement of mandatory hijab laws.[14] Caschetta argues that while the hijab is promoted in the West as a symbol of the right to choose one's clothing, the same advocacy is lacking for women who are persecuted for refusing to wear the hijab.

Maryam Namazie, a vocal ex-Muslim and campaigner, criticized World Hijab Day arguing that it is a "form of oppression."[15] In his own opinion piece published in 2017, Maajid Nawaz suggested that the name be changed to "Hijab is a Choice Day".[16]

In 2018, Canadian activist Yasmine Mohammed started a #NoHijabDay campaign in response, World Hijab Day, framing it as a way to highlight women who have resisted societal pressure and state mandates to remove the hijab.[17]

Social media

World Hijab Day has largely influenced through social media. World Hijab Day campaigners promote the day with hashtags such as #EmpoweredinHijab.[18] [19]

See also

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: World Hijab Day - Better Awareness. Greater Understanding. Peaceful World. 13 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161006192248/http://worldhijabday.com/. 2016-10-06. live.
  2. Web site: Participating Countries . Worldwide Support . World Hijab Day . 6 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160310102705/http://worldhijabday.com/worldwidesupport/ . 10 March 2016 . live .
  3. Web site: World Hijab Day . worldhijabday.com . 6 March 2013 .
  4. News: 'We're not oppressed': Canadians unite to mark World Hijab Day - National Globalnews.ca . 14 February 2022 . Global News.
  5. Book: Framing Hijab in the European Mind: Press Discourse, Social Categorization and Stereotypes . 9789811616532 . Khir-Allah . Ghufran . 24 May 2021. Springer .
  6. Web site: June 29, 2021. Religious clothing and personal appearance. Pew Research Center. May 5, 2023.
  7. Book: Spurgeon . Andrew B. . Twin Cultures Separated by Centuries: An Indian Reading of 1 Corinthians . 14 August 2016 . Langham Publishing . 978-1-78368-139-6 . 196 . English . Ghoonghat (also ghunghat or jhund) is the Hindi word used for a veil or a scarf that a woman in northern India wears to cover her head or face (in states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam). Sometimes the end of a sari or dupatta (a long scarf) is pulled over the head or face to function as a ghoonghat..
  8. Web site: Garcia. Myrian. March 15, 2022. How India's Religious Headwear Ban Affects Muslims And Not Hindus. Religion Unplugged. May 5, 2023.
  9. Ahmad, A. S., King, E. B.(2010). An experimental field study of interpersonal discrimination toward Muslim job applicants. Personnel Psychology, 63(4), 881–906
  10. Web site: Rukavina . Steve . New research shows Bill 21 having 'devastating' impact on religious minorities in Quebec . CBC . October 18, 2024 . August 4, 2022.
  11. Web site: World Hijab Day . The University of British Columbia . October 18, 2024.
  12. Web site: Grewal. Kairvy. 2020-01-31. On World Hijab Day, women across the globe are polarised. 2021-02-01. ThePrint. en-US.
  13. Web site: House OKs bill declaring National Hijab Day. 2021-02-01. The Manila Times. 26 January 2021. en-US.
  14. Web site: Caschetta. A. J.. 2020-01-30. The Irony and Hypocrisy of World Hijab Day. 2021-02-01. National Review. en-US.
  15. News: Hijab for a day: Non-Muslim women who try the headscarf . 14 February 2022 . BBC News . 31 January 2013.
  16. News: Maajid Nawaz . The Great Hypocritical Muslim Cover-Up . The Daily Beast . 29 December 2015 . 6 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305185504/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/29/the-great-hypocritical-muslim-cover-up.html . 5 March 2016 . live .
  17. Web site: 'Removing your hijab can get you killed – even in the West' . spiked . 2 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190202062234/https://www.spiked-online.com/2019/02/01/removing-your-hijab-can-get-you-killed-even-in-the-west/ . 2 February 2019.
  18. News: World Hijab Day: Proud to be a hijabi and breaking stereotypes. BBC.
  19. Web site: World Hijab Day and the women who are breaking boundaries and stereotypes. Sky News. 1 February 2023.

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