Adventures in Wearing a Hijab

The exact hijab I bought.

So I bought a beautiful dark emerald green hijab over the internet. It’s made of soft breathable material and wraps around my head and neck so my hair doesn’t show. (However, I do not have an amira hijab underneath though which is the part that hides the bangs). I bought it because I have always wanted to try one ever since I started watching Little Mosque on the Prairie. I also wanted to see how it feels to wear one in today’s society. 

It is oddly the sexiest thing I’ve ever worn. In all seriousness, I felt gorgeous wearing it. It is a more feminine article of clothing than I would usually wear. The thing is I hate wearing dresses or skirts. And I’m growing my hair out for prom and I have found that it's very uncomfortable for me to have long hair. So you have to imagine my surprise when as soon as I put on this traditional Muslim head covering, I found I was more confident in my femininity and less self-conscious of myself. 

I volunteer at my church every Wednesday and I love it there. It’s quite frankly my second home. So I decided what better place to show off my new accessory - as well as see how people react to it. Also my friend dared me to wear it in front of at least one pastor. 

So I wore it in front of three pastors.

The first pastor who saw me was my mentor, boss, and friend. She looked up and smiled and asked me what was up with my new look. She was confused and amused at the same time. And she also wanted to know why I was trying this out. When I explained to her she said “Oh” and smiled.

The second pastor was her husband and my youth pastor. I share an office space with him and I came in to get something and because he was busy it didn’t quite register that I was wearing a hijab. 

Later he came out into the foyer and when I walked toward him he doubled over laughing and asked me between giggles if I had converted to Islam. Just so you know, this is because I often try to prank people to get a reaction. And it’s usually these aforementioned pastors that I do this to.  I smiled back and said I was just trying something out. He, then believing this to be a serious endeavor, apologized for laughing and then asked me why I was wearing it. I described it simply as a sociological experiment. Oh, was the reply. 

The third pastor I wore it in front of was my senior pastor at my church. He and I don’t really talk too much but he’s a very kind-hearted guy who loves people. He made the same smiling statement of asking me if I had converted to Islam and when I said that I was trying something new, he smiled and said “Oh.”

This seems to be a common word for pastors.

Later he stopped by and we talked about how school was going for me and how excited I was for college. Like I said, very kind hearted guy. 

That night was youth group and I run the snack stand and welcome people into the church. The most interesting thing about this experiment is that not one of the youth asked what was on my head or why I was wearing it. 

They all said hi to me. I talked with some of them for ten to fifteen minutes and yet, it was not mentioned. 

I think I could’ve gone all night without it being talked about - had my youth pastor not made a light-hearted joke about it. Then people laughed and acknowledged the fact that I was wearing a hijab. Later, one girl came up and asked me why I was wearing it. 

Mainly, this was just a sociological experiment. Or at least it started out that way. But it turned into something more when I realized how at ease I felt when I wearing the hijab. I wonder if people realize how it’s not really that restricting…in fact it’s much more freeing. I didn’t have to worry about if my hair was getting greasy or if it was getting scraggly at the ends. I could focus more on what was going on around me and yet know that I still looked great. 

I wish the hijab wasn’t so controversial. It’s because of this controversy that I wouldn’t have worn it outside of my church - or in another church for that matter. I think it looks great, it’s comfortable, and it’s freeing. 

I understand that I’m talking about this as a fashion accessory and not a religious covering. I understand that Muslim women wear it, not because it looks gorgeous and it’s comfortable, but because it is a show of modesty within their culture. They believe that their hair is part of their sexuality and it’s not to be flaunted in public. It’s also a symbol of their religion, just like I wear a cross necklace as a Christian shows my faith. 

I hope it doesn’t seem like I’m undermining that. I have so much respect for the Muslim women who wear their hijab in public as a show of their religion and modesty. 

What I am saying is that the controversy around the hijab is unfortunate because I personally love wearing it and would definitely continue to wear it. And I’m quite sure that I sound like a coward who won’t stand up for what she believes in. But you know what? To me, it is a fashion accessory. Just like to a Muslim woman, my cross necklace would be a fashion accessory. 

I won’t stand up for the right to wear a fashion accessory. But I have gained newfound respect and admiration for the women who stand up for the right for their religious freedom. And I’m also incredibly envious that they get to look so gorgeous all the time. 

What are your thoughts on the hijab? Let me know in the comments below or on Facebook. I'd love to get some discussion going!