Why Do You Wear That Thing on Your Head?

I get this question often, and I am glad I do, because it gives me an opportunity to explain the reasoning behind a piece of cloth that covers hair, also known as a hijab. There is no "right" way to wear one; many times, people of different cultures cover their hair in different fashions. Furthermore, the word hijab does not specifically refer to a scarf; a better synonym for the word would be modesty. Wearing a hijab means being modest, which includes both the inside and the outside. Intentions are what matter the most. Also, contrary to popular belief, in Islam, men also have to wear a "hijab," but with different requirements because men and women are equal, but obviously not the same.

I decided to wear a hijab when I started high school as a token of acknowledgement for my religion, but I quickly realized the reasons behind why my religion encourages wearing a hijab and I now know that it is one of the best decisions I ever made. I find it to be empowering and liberating. I feel like when people talk to me, they talk to me for the thoughts and ideas inside my brain instead of the the physical and visible outside of my being, which makes me feel more respected. I don't become subjected to degrading and objectifying gazes like the half naked models on billboard ads or magazines do. The other reason I wear a hijab is because it gives me an identity. The best example I can relate this idea to is my skin. I am brown which is something I cannot change; I was born that way. It is not something that I can rip off or paint over. It is what it is and I am proud of it! That is also how I feel about my religion. It is something I do not want to change and I am proud of the fact that I am a Muslim; wearing a hijab lets the world know that too.

I would like to end with a quote by Tawakkul Karman, the first Arab woman winner and the youngest winner of Nobel Peace Prize. The quote is in context to a question she was asked about her hijab:

“Man in early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I’m wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilization that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It’s the removal of clothes again that is regressive back to ancient times."

Salam [Peace]. 

Happy Holidays!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and a Wonderful Kwanzaa, as well as an amazing anything-else-I-am-leaving-out. I also wanted to share a fun fact in this post. Did you you know that Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born on December 25th? It's true! He was born on Christmas. I learned that today and I found it interesting, so I decided to share. The picture below is one of him juxtaposed with the Pakistani flag.

(Note about images: Not all of the images in my blog are mine, and credit goes to those who own the pictures.)

Asalaam-O-Alaikum [May the peace and blessings of God be upon you].

I Need Your Help!

Please help me out. Please take a few seconds out of your busy lives to read this post. That would be great.

Referring back to Islam & the Role of Education, while Islam promotes education for all, this idea is not implemented in Muslim countries like it should. In fact, many areas use Islam as a basis to discriminate against women in attaining an education. Ironic, isn't it?

One of these places is Afghanistan. For quite a while, education for girls was banned in many areas of Afghanistan. I don't think I need to explain the consequences of such a large portion of a population being uneducated.

This is where the help comes in. I am currently working with a great teacher at Fort Defiance High School, Ms. Bruce Hemp, to play a role in ending this inequality. Ms. Hemp is using her connections to send school items overseas to a small girls' school in the northern Helmand province of Afghanistan. Here are some of the pictures of the school and the children that will be benefiting from this cause that she shared with me.

As you can see, the school has no benches or boards or any of the items that we would find to be a given in a classroom. Anyone out there that wants to directly contribute, you can sponsor a chalk board for $45 or a bench for $50. Just think about how many people you would be helping with just a few dollars, and this includes the shipping estimate for these items! Also, I would love for people who want to write letters to these children to contact me. Just comment below if you are interested in either of these options and I will get back with you.

Allah kay Hawale [Leaving you to God].