by Shirien ElmasrayaEver wonder what it's like for women that wear hijab - or the head scarf? I certainly get some crazy questions sometimes.
And after you wear the Muslim garb, wear a swastika armband for a day. You would want Nazi ornaments to be treated as well as those of the religion of peace.
"Do you take a shower with that on?" is pretty common.
And so is, "Do you wear that because you're bald?"
That one's my favorite.
I certainly don't mind the questions, and I am happy to answer them whenever I get them. But, now it's your turn. I challenge the women on this campus to walk a day in my shoes. I challenge women to wear hijab for a whole day on April 25, 2008 and then talk about the experience afterward.
Whether you think Muslim women are oppressed or whether you respect the hijab, you all have something to gain from the experience.
I have to admit, the idea wasn't really my own. Montclair State University's Muslim Students Association recently sponsored the same type of event. The idea was to get girls to wear hijab, show them how to wear it for a day and at the end of the day, come together and discuss their experiences.
Muslim women wear the hijab because it is a commandment of Allah, or God, in the Quran. And since Muslims believe the purpose of life is to worship the creator alone, they must follow all the commandments in the Quran, and who better to tell a person what's good or bad for them than the one who created them?
The hijab also protects women.
| ... from having the crap beaten out of her by the local hard boys ... |