A reader on Muslimette.com left an interesting comment today, which reads: “You’re right – non-muslims don’t have much problem with the hijab. It’s muslim girls and women who are ‘ashamed’ of it in a way. To some people, wearing a hijab is akin to slumming it, like not living up to what life is offering. But we have to face it – this life here is just a transition spot for the true believing Muslim. Sad and such a shame they cannot realize that…” -Z.
I have been wearing hijab since I was about 12 or 13 years-old and I can honestly say that I’ve heard more negative comments about it from Muslim women than from non-Muslims. None of these women actually wore the hijab and their reasons for not doing so range from “the hijab makes my hair fall out” to “I will start wearing hijabs once I’m out of college”… I wouldn’t say that I’ve heard a lot of these comments, but I’ve heard enough of them. On the other hand, I’ve only heard one or two negative comments about hijab from non-Muslims in my entire life (not counting the stupid things that a few people have said in my blog comments).
What about you? Do you agree or disagree with Z’s statement? Have you encountered more Muslim women who dislike the hijab or more non-Muslims who have a problem with it? If possible, please let us know what country you live in so that we can get a feel for what it’s like in different parts of the world.
