Miracle world under hijab

For Western people Muslim headscarf –hijab- is not only the traditional dressing detail but already a symbol of women oppression, conservatism, radicalism and extremism. It is a symbol of social rigidity and a symbol of female ghettoization.

As such, hijab have always wake up a special fear in Westerners encouraging Islamphobia.  Some countries such as France have propelled the problem of traditional Muslim clothing to a high state level seeing that as a potential threat to national security and safety of citizens.

Thus, a piece of cloth wrapped around the head and neck has become a point of discord between the Western and the Arab world. Especial after September 11^th, when the majority of  Muslim women  with hijab have been marked and treated as potential terrorists, suicide bombers and enemies  of Christians.

This “fashion” phenomenon  also intrigued me. Of course,  I was not paranoiac who trust  in conspiracy theories that every Muslim girl and woman with a hijab is a follower of  Al Qaida,  but somewhere deeply it blocked me.  Simply, I have believed that under the hijab is hidden, insurmountable world of Muslim women . It seems to me too much closed, isolated, strictness and coldness.

My own prejudices have not allowed me to more closely meet the world under the hijab.

The Conference in Alexandria changed my views from the root.

On this occasion, I met three colleagues, Egyptian women, journalists, who wore hijab. Asmaa, Aisha, Ether. Three young ladies, three very educated and eloquent women, attracted my attention in a very direct and open communication.

Cheerful, smiling, mood destroyed all of my former taboos of the woman under hijab. They showed me a magical world under the Muslim headscarf, which is in many ways identical to the world of European women.

All they are modern, family women, with huge support from their spouses for the job they do. This is one of the crucial things in their lives. If it is not, they  would not be here. I am sure they choose husband compatible with their intellectual power. So now they have the best support to its partners.

They are very proud, dignified, open-minded women always ready on conversation with strong arguments. And there is no taboo topic for them. As a non-Muslim and European I was interested for many things in all-daily life in Arabic world.   They gave me as much as possible answers.  They talked with me about politic, religion, family. There were not hidden and „haram“  thingd. We made comparation how things look like in my country and in their homeland Egypt.

Serbian woman monk has headscarf similar to hijab

Above all, they are brave women. They changes its own societies.  Perhaps among them is some of the future minister, Prime minister and even the President. Who knows that.

It is clear they must have a lot of power for life in the Arab society that is in many ways  very rigid and inflexible. Even in Europe, one capable and educated woman must show much more effort than men to be accepted and recognized in society and system. I can imagine how it is harder in Arab world. In countries where you can be arrested only because  you think different than mullah or dictator.

My dear colleagues with hijabs are dangerous.  Very dangerous.  But not for me or the other non Arabs .

Their work is dangerous for dictatorships in own country, for extremists and fanatics because no one of them is belonging to mentioned groups.  No one of them support it. No one of them has shown any type of national and religious discrimination. In contrary. They very respect other nation and religions. Nothing less than the own.

They are fighting for human rights in own country. For right to dignity. They are fighting for women, children. For better tomorrow of Arab world.

Thank you Asmaa, Aisha, Ether!

You helped me to better understand the world under hijab.

Maybe Arab men will be offended but I will say: the power of  Egypt  is just below the hijab. In the women. They are the intellectual lights not only of Egypt but also of all the Arab world.