Daanya Maqbool
High school students participate in a bingo game led by the high school Hijab Forum MC.
Two periods canceled. A massive crowd of girls make their way down to the auditorium. Chattering amongst themselves, they wonder – what does this year’s annual Hijab Forum have in store for them?
The answer: a lot. Qur’an recitations, fun games, a guest speaker, and of course, sharing impactful stories of how our sisters began to wear the hijab.
We can see that the guest speaker had an impact on some of the students’ mentality about hijab. Hanen Musa, 7th grade, expresses, “The lady giving the speech about how important the hijab is to us was really inspiring. I’m already hijabi (hijabi is a term that those who wear the hijab, a Muslim veil, call themselves), but I felt even more proud to wear the hijab.” Through a compassionate explanation on the importance of hijab, Ms. Musa further appreciated what it meant to wear the hijab.
After the guest speaker, the event was mainly student run. A few high school students were selected to host the event, making the event more enjoyable for the students, as it was presented by their peers. Tala Mahmoud, Junior and the MC for the middle school hijab forum, enthusiastically describes how she enjoyed her role, explaining the importance of these hijab centered events to motivate girls, especially younger ones, to wear and be proud of the hijab. When asked if she believed that the hijab forum would achieve its purpose and inspire the young ladies on campus, she says, “I hope it’ll inspire people, and I think it will. Especially with some of the stories shared – like Maryam Qutu – will impact a lot of people.” The importance of fellow sisters sharing their stories of how and why they began to wear the hijab will not be lost, as it was a pivotal part of the hijab forum for both groups of middle and high school girls.
Before any emotional storytelling, the next recurring segment in the annual Hijab Forum is the games. Several girls from both middle and high school were called up for team building games such as “Pin the Hijab”, and more.
Hanen Musa, 7th grade, share what inspired her to wear her hijab, “In 5th grade, I learnt that one of my friends started wearing the hijab in kindergarten, and I felt inspired. I started practicing, and something inside me just felt missing until I started wearing hijab. I think that people should start wearing hijab earlier on.” Musa’s friend, who began wearing hijab so young, will now have the barakah (lasting or ongoing blessing) of encouraging another to wear hijab.
Musa describes how the influence that spread to her began to reach beyond her. “Two of my other friends were inspired by me wearing the hijab. Both of them started wearing the hijab. Last summer, one of my cousins decided to wear the hijab, because she was inspired by me.”
8th grader Jumana Kadowr, a student that began wearing hijab at a young age, had much to say as well. “I think that if we can inspire by sharing stories, then girls will also want to do what others are doing. I shared mine because I wanted to inspire other people with my story.” Kadowr was one of the few brave girls who stood up, in hopes of helping others with their hijab. Both those who were already hijabi and those who are on the path left Hijab Forum more motivated, as well as confident in their Muslim identity.
After the personal speeches had been completed, it was time for the event which so many girls had dressed up for – the fashion show.
Ladies who had dressed up were free to walk the stage and strike a pose, showing off their modest outfits with hijab. Coming in singles, pairs, or groups of friends, girls of all ages and fashion tastes would cross the stage as people took their photos. The fashion show is a sampling of ideas on how one can dress modestly, but yet fashionable.
As a result, when the event wrapped up, many girls walked out of the auditorium with a renewed sense of hope. 7th grader Aiza Zain reflects, “I was practicing hijab, but I want to do more now because of the stories.” Hearing hijab stories from others left many young girls influenced and inspired. Ms. Zain shared how “cool” it felt hearing stories and knowing there were hijabis her age.
Attendees could attest that the Hijab Forum was a great success, providing not only a fun event for all the young girls in the audience, but also a learning experience and inspiring moment.
[INSERT QUOTE FROM A STAFF MEMBER]
(All the girls from our school were able to gain something from this traditional and incredibly important event. Celebrating the hijab is a beautiful thing, as every young Muslim woman should be able to wear and love it. And once again, our school, BHA did just that, reminding us of the deep importance and beauty of the hijab.)