Where is your freedom now

You tell me I am oppressed because of the way I dress.
You tell me I am oppressed because I cover my hair.
You tell me I am oppressed because I choose not to hug nor kiss you.

Now you are outside covering your face and your hands.
And you neither touch nor kiss someone,
because you are scared of the dangerous corona virus.

Science is now telling you how to dress and act with others.
Allah has always told me how to dress and act with others.

You are afraid of the virus.
I am afraid of Allah.

You want to be saved from the epidemic.
I want to be saved from the hell fire.

Now who of us is oppressed?

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Elizabeth

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A woman in hijab

You may think I’m oppressed by the way you stare at me. That I’m not free to make my own decision. Maybe you think I’m forced to cover up my beauty.
I guess it bothers you that I choose what to show and withhold from the world. But the truth is that a veil like the hijab represents so much more then what you see.
We don’t lie or steal, drink or smoke. We think before we talk and watch our tongue.
We choose to wear it, to be among the best of people.
I hope one day you can see past my veil and see who I truly am. Because my freedom is not determined whether I show my hair or flaunt my body. And remember that the hijab represents so much more than a cover to your hair.

Elizabeth

The hijab

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A cloth you put around your hair, draped down your chest. A garment worn by women. A religious sign – a sign that shows the world that you are muslim. A sign of oppression for some. But for me it’s a sign of freedom.

A conscious choice I make every day because I refuse to be seen as a sexual object for people to look at. I choose who I want to show my beauty to. And through my modesty you are forced to only see my heart and mind. Because that’s what I choose to share.

Some days I find myself wrapping my veil over and over again, never being satisfied. Feeling a resistance and thinking it would be easier to tuck away my scarfs in the back of the closet, but then I would be like everyone else. What I strive for is not in this world but beyond what I can see. And I finally choose to show the world I’m muslim.

Elizabeth