With the rise of Islamophobia in the United States, non-Muslims have increasingly begun to wear the hijab as an expression of solidarity with Muslims. Shenila Khoja, a doctoral candidate and fellow in TC’s Curriculum and Teaching Department, was invited by the New York Times to share her opinion on this practice.
I do not wear the hijab, but I staunchly stand with sisters who do and are being viciously attacked because of it. I grew up in Pakistan and have seen Muslim women don the hijab – or other coverings, such as the dupatta – for myriad reasons: demonstrating submission to Allah, expressing modesty, conforming to local patriarchies or resisting everyday injustices.
Wearing the hijab as an act of solidarity with Muslim women then requires recognition of these multiple meanings — particularly since the hijab has historically been deployed to signal the oppression of Muslim women by Muslim communities and to legitimize interventions in Muslim nations. Solidarity through hijab should not be reduced to making a fashion statement or a voyeuristic experience into a Muslim identity.
Source: Teachers College Columbia University
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