I am so
grateful that I have always been surrounded by the most respectful friends,
peers and coworkers. As a Muslim wearing hijab, I have been fortunate to have
had very few incidents of hate directed towards me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not
naïve. I am aware that there have been countless more incidents where
assumptions are made about me, or I am silently judged solely on the basis on
how I am dressed.
However, I
recently realized that in the midst of such strong attacks against my religion,
I don’t just want my beliefs to be blindly respected – I want the people around
me to understand why it is that I choose to wear hijab.
To my incredible classmates, we are nearing
the end of a long educational journey! And once you land a teaching job, you
will have the power of creating a positive classroom environment rooted in
inclusiveness, as well as the capacity to influence dozens of students every
single year. And that in itself is such a powerful thing. For those of you who
don’t plan to pursue teaching, I have no doubt you’ll still be agents of change
in whichever direction you go in. And for everyone else, simply speaking up or
counteracting false statements will go such a long way. And if not that, in the
very least- the next time you see myself or another girl wearing hijab, at
least you won’t be left wondering why.
Disclaimer:
keep in mind that everyone you meet will share a different story, and this one
is exclusively my own.
