Recent times have been particularly difficult for Muslim women around the world, as news of headscarf bans and mistreatment of hijabi women make the rounds more than ever. While religious symbols worn in public have long been controversial in France, in 2021, the French Senate voted in favor of a Separatism Bill banning hijab on women under the age of 18 in public places. Similar votes were made by Switzerland, Belgium, and Austria around the same time.
December 2021 saw the removal and reassignment of a hijab-wearing elementary school teacher in Quebec because of the province’s Bill 21 that states some civil servants including teachers can’t wear religious symbols while at work. In the new year, a draft bill banning the hijab in sporting competitions will pass on to France’s National Assembly after the Senate declined to vote on the legislation. In the Indian state of Karnataka, authorities have banned religious symbols in classrooms, turning away a number of hijab-wearing students at school gates.
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These rulings and bills have caught the attention of a number of public figures, who are using their platforms to stand with the Muslim women that have been affected so far. Beauty mogul Huda Kattan took to her personal and brand Instagram account to highlight the various amendments by sharing infographics and screenshots of news articles with a combined 50 million followers. “I’m at a loss for words right now! It’s shocking to see such a huge human rights violation happening in 2022 (and by countries like France & Canada that are supposedly progressive),” she wrote. “It’s absolutely crazy and backwards! Freedom of choice to cover up and wear Hijab is a basic human right and no one should dictate someone’s ability to express themselves! What’s next?! I find Hijab so beautiful and powerful, and I always wanted to wear Hijab one day because I love what it represents and I think women who wear it are extremely powerful.”
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Bella Hadid, who often uses Instagram as a tool to give voice to the causes she feels strongly about also shared her thoughts via three posts. In the first, the part-Palestinian model elaborated on the discrimination that Muslim women face despite the fashion world’s increased inclusivity. “Although different forms of the hijab and head coverings are starting to make an appearance in fashion, let’s still remember the daily struggle, abuse, and discrimination Muslim women face on a regular basis because of their faith and what they stand for,” she wrote. “To each woman’s body, stand their own opinion on what they should do with it. That is NO ONES decision except for theirs.”
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In the next post, Hadid called on the countries to end their “discrimination.” She said, “I urge France, India, Quebec, Belgium, and any other countries in the world who are discriminatory against Muslim women, to rethink what decisions you have made or are trying to make in the future about a body that is not yours. It’s not your job to tell women what they should or shouldn’t wear, especially when it is pertaining to faith and safety.” The model went on to share a heartbreaking incident of a Muslim teen girl who had her hijab ripped off and physically harassed alongside her friends. “We need to change this mindset of immediate judgment,” she wrote. “Teach our friends, children, parents, families that wearing a hijab, being Muslim, or being anything other than white in general, does not equal being a threat or different than anyone else. Teach them to love before hate. To educate before judgment. To protect before bullying.”
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Hadid’s posts received appreciation from a number of Muslim women including Libyan-American journalist Noor Tagouri, Somali model Ikram Abdi Omar, and Dubai-based henna artist Azra Khamissa. Her posts were also liked by Moroccan model Imaan Hammam and Indian actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja.
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