Reasons For Wearing The Hijab

[laian]

Intuition that's a great story lol...


reminds me of my friend who wears niqab, but the lady she had to deal with was even worse. My friend was trying to get some paper work for something, a license or something I don't remember, but she had called the lady in advance before she went in, speaking regular english (she is a convert, born and raised in america, doesnt speak anything but English) and the lady on the phone of course talked to her normally. But when she got there, she went to the lady and said "i talked to you on the phone" etc and this lady started speaking verrrrrry slowly and loudly, and using big hand gestures like my friend couldn't understand. lol, this is after hearing her speak and having a phone conversation with her! My friend said she spoke like this through the whole conversation, she was speaking perfectly normal english, and the lady was making a total fool out of herself! All because of a little piece of cloth over her face!


How funny people can be about this! lol

[umm Zachariah]

Assalamu aleikum,


So nice, funny and sad to read your stories sisters


I have way back in my head something a sister told me many years ago, so I do not remember it too well. She, a Swedish niqabi, sitting on a transitbus together with her husband at an airport, think it might have been in England, am not sure, where the bus stops here and there and leaves people to get off. So she and her husband were sitting infront of two Swedish speaking persons that did not speak one nice word about her, only rubbish ''how can anyone dress like that...'' and so on. They were also uncertain where to get off, and the sister that had listen, but said nothing to their reasoning, did, since she had guessed from their reasoing where they were supposed to get off, did turn around and said, in Swedish, 'I think this is the stop where you are to get off''. I don't remeber their reaction I think because I have myself imaginged what happened and have therefore so much at this situation. I would have feel so ASHAMED it I would have been them. And the sister was so cooooool.


Masha'Allah for you strong sisters out there, masha'Allah


Wasalam

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


<i>Mash a Allah girls really
</i>

[umm Zachariah]

Bismillah,


Assalamu aleikum,


Picking up this beautiful thread [img]style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif[/img] that always is in focus... [img]style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif[/img]


This a few months old, but well worth reading.


'It's only a piece of cloth'


Can a woman in a hijab still get a taxi? asks Yvonne Ridley


Sunday December 12, 2004


The Observer


Wearing a headscarf is no big deal... unless you happen to be a Muslim, in which case this simple piece of cloth arouses opinions, hostile glances and worse.


When I converted to Islam I knew I would have to embrace the Muslim head-dress. As for many converts, it was a huge stumbling block and I found all sorts of excuses not to wear the hijab - basically a symbol of modesty and a very public statement. When I finally did, the repercussions were enormous. All I did was put on a headscarf, but from that moment I became a second-class citizen.


The reaction from some people was unbelievable. I knew I would become a target for abuse from the odd Islamaphobic oik, but I didn't expect so much open hostility from complete strangers. I can no longer be sure of getting a black cab in London... something I had taken for granted for many years. Let me give you some examples from the past two weeks: Edgware Road in London, an area with a substantial Arab population: three black cabs, orange 'for hire' lights glowing, drive past one after another. It's about 11.30pm and I'm freezing and desperate to get home. A fourth taxi stops to discharge a white passenger. I reach the vehicle and tap the window, beaming from ear-to-ear at my saviour. The driver turns and stares hard, his face contorted into hatred and rage, and drives off.


Last month, pre-hijab, he would have returned the smile; now, in his eyes, I have been transformed into a terrorist. Next day, horrified by the events of the previous evening, I tell my story to a non-Muslim friend who is not


sympathetic. 'Well if you go around looking like a Chechen Black Widow what do you expect?' she says. But black is my favourite colour. It's just that my little black dress has become a big black dress. That afternoon, I change my black hijab in favour of a paler silk turban-look which still covers my head. Very Vivienne Westwood, I think. I get my black cab without hassle, just a mere wave of the arm and I am taken to the West End for lunch with a very close friend who happens to be Jewish. It was the first time she had seen me in a hijab but she just laughs and makes some nice compliments. In her eyes I am the same person she became friends with five years ago. No change. What a relief.


Later that day I meet some Muslim friends who also have not seen me for some time. They are excited to see me wearing a hijab, but tell me I look like a cross between a cancer victim and an Israeli settler. I report the unsavoury incident in the Edgware Road which had reduced me to tears.


'Welcome to the real world. This is what we have to put up with 24/7,' one tells me. There is more laughter at my apparent naivety, but I am puzzled and peeved at their acceptance that this is the way of things in Britain today. A couple of days later I attend Yasser Arafat's memorial at London's Friends' Meeting House and dress appropriately in black with matching hijab showing a small sliver of Palestinian kaffiyeh across the forehead.


I may as well be sporting a Hamas-green 'jihad' tattoo across my temple from the openly hostile glares I receive from some passengers on London's Underground. Feeling uncomfortable and intimidated I get off at Baker Street and go to a taxi bay for the shortish journey down Euston Road. 'It's just across the road, why don't you walk?' barks the cabbie before returning to his newspaper.


There have been other incidents including one taxi driver's, 'Don't leave a bomb in the back seat,' or, 'Where's bin Laden hiding?' There are also amusing moments such as being congratulated in Regent's Park mosque for my excellent grasp of English.


But, in the eyes of many, I no longer am a real person. Waiters talk loudly and slowly if I am on my own, and if I am with a non-hijabi female, she is asked what I would like to eat. So, when I see a woman wearing a hijab, regardless of whether I know her, I smile and say in Arabic, 'As-Salaam-Alaikum,' which means, 'Peace unto you'. I know that the rest of her encounters that day may well be hostile.

[NaSra]

Sisters those stories made me laugh/smile yet saddened me at the same time.


May Allah reward us all for all the struggle we go through in this life for the sake of our religion.


It's not easy being a practising muslim in a secular world. Where you are constantly being viewed as "normal" and "ok" as long you're down with what the biggest majority says or thinks. Alhamdulilah we are either slaves of what man made or we are a slaves to what made man. The fun of this world will come to an end sooner or later, what will always remain and still stand when every living thing on this earth will vanish within the blink of an eye is Allah and his promise to reward those who sacrifice for his sake or punish them. So (insha'Allah) when it comes to the long run, following & practising islam won't make us the fools.


Insha'Allah


UmmZachariah JZK

[umm Zachariah]

Bismillah,


Sorry Admin, for this is now going a bit off topic [img]style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif[/img]


Regards

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


no need to apologize Umm I am locking the thread


But I expect members to be more on topic and adhering to the rules, we dont need to spend much time really deleting the off topic posts to make things easier to other memebrs who want to benefit


If u think from your own point of view and feel that u have to go thru off topic posts to get the required info just as what happened with the new member on another thread, u will think twice before replying when u dont need to.