HIJAB PART 1

Here we go guys, the first instalment of my hijab project.

The first lady that is part of my project is Ripa. I met Ripa a few years ago when I worked in Newham with an organisation that helped local residents get back into work. When I first met Ripa she was one of our clients. A young Muslim women with three young daughters. She had come out of an abusive marriage and was trying to start a new life for her and her children. Ripa had such a good work ethic that she ended up being employed by the organisation itself. She now works helping people like herself realise their dreams, as well as working full time she is raising 3 young girls on her own. I admire her strength and resilience. The way that regardless of what life has thrown at her how she has succeeded and thrived. I admire how she still finds time to Islamically educated her daughters and be a wonderful mother. It proves to me that the myth that a Muslim woman is not strong and independent is just that a myth. She is an inspiration other young women like herself. If you work hard and have belief in Allah you can succeed in anything that you want.

What made you decide to wear the hijab?

I come from a very religious family where everyone wears the hijab. It was a given that at a certain age I too would have to wear it. To be honest as a teenager I didn't really give it much thought, it was just another garment, like putting on a cardigan. It was a norm for me. I married at a very young age, 17. My husband had met me in the hijab and expected me to continue to wear it. It was however a very abusive and controlling marriage, he even dictated to me that I had to wear the Niqab, it wasn't what I had chosen but because of the nature of our marriage I had no choice but to comply. To me the hijab at this point was never my choice, it was always something that someone else expected me to wear and controlled. Because it was never worn with what I now feel is the right intention I constantly struggled with it.

When my marriage ended for the first time I was free to make my own decisions. I decided to take my hijab off, I expected that not wearing the hijab would complement my freedom. I associated the restrictions that had been put on me during my marriage with the control my husband had in what I wore. I wanted to have the hairstyles that my friends had, I wanted to go to the places where they went. I truly thought that without the Hijab I was free.

However I have to admit for me this was not the case. I felt that some people no longer judged me by my personality or my brain but rather in more superficious terms. Maybe for me I needed to experience life without the Hijab to truly appreciate the beauty of it. This period in my life taught me that my life was not restricted by my hijab, it was rather the control that my ex used it for. I came to the realisation that I could achieve anything, do anything, my hijab did not hold me back.

For me I want to wear my hijab as I feel Islamically it is important for a woman to cover and show modesty. I have 3 young daughters, 2 twins aged 8 and another aged 7. I want to set a good example for them. They wear the hijab but it is their choice to do so, they want to copy Mummy which makes me so proud, however if they don't want to wear it that's their choice they are still kids. I want the hijab to be for them as it for me now, the right lifestyle choice.

How does wearing the hijab make you feel?

To be honest I actually feel more free wearing the Hijab, I feel like I am in control and that I have made an important decision but the decision was all mine. The hijab in my life poses no restrictions for me. I am happy, I am fulfilled. I truly believe that wearing the hijab should be a woman's choice. Only then can you really appreciate it for what it is.

What have been the positives and the negatives of wearing the hijab?

I feel like by wearing the hijab and living my life as Islamically as I can I am setting a good role model to other young Muslim women.

When I divorced from my husband life was quite scary and it took me a while to get back on my feet. Slowly I learnt about services available to me and resources I could access. When I put the Hijab back on it gave me the courage to get my life back in order. I now work with local Newham residents including single mothers like myself get back into work. Funnily enough it is the same company I joined as a client when I wanted help myself. I feel that the most positive thing about the hijab is all the courage it has given me to get this far. It makes me feel like I have achieved so much.

For myself I do not feel that there are any negative aspects to me wearing the Hijab. I've had a few comments in the past but generally they do not upset or faze me, they are just other people's ignorance.

However sometimes I feel that people can be quiet judgemental about the hijab and the niqab. This I feel can come equally from non muslims and muslims. But I put that down to their personal ignorance and not let it affect all the positivity I feel about wearing my Hijab.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

So that's the end of part one. Below you will see the word comment, if you click on it you can leave me some comments about the project so far. It would be really great if we could use this as a starting place for some discussions on the subject xxx