MPH in the Media

Take a Walk in My Hijab

Manlius Pebble Hill teacher Haleh Seraji talked to her students studying Islam about her personal decision not to wear the hijab, telling them she thinks it identifies her instantly as a Muslim woman and that could subject her to harassment.

Born in Iran, Seraji came to the United States at 16 and grew up here, so she didn't feel comfortable wearing the hijab, the Islamic head scarf. She explained she believes the Quran doesn't require women wear the hijab; each can make the choice.

When her students questioned her decision, she suggested they might want to get a taste of what life would be like for a Muslim woman by wearing a hijab themselves. Seraji said she knew the experiment would only give students a small glimpse into what life might be like for women who wear the hijab, but she thought it could help deepen their understanding.

Six of Seraji's female students wore the hijab for a week last month, and then reported back to the class. The girls wore the hijab to school every day, to a shopping mall, Wegmans, a feed store, department store and to a dance studio.

"We wanted to experiment and see how we felt wearing the hijab," said senior Katie Yates. "We wanted to see if it felt oppressive, and we wanted to see how others would react, and if they would treat us differently."

Rather than feel oppressed, the girls said they felt more confident and assured wearing the hijab. They also found people to be curious and wary, but generally accepting.

"I felt more confident and more feminine wearing it," Yates said. "I thought other people would treat me differently, but they really didn't. I thought more people would stare at me."

Junior Hannah Fuller said she got a few strange looks when she went shopping at Carousel Center. But wearing the hijab prompted discussion among her friends, who didn't understand why Islamic women wear it. "I found out it means people have to take you at face value," she said.

According to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center, 53 percent of Muslims living in America said it has become more difficult to be a Muslim in the U.S. since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Fifty-one percent said they are "very worried" or "somewhat worried" that women wearing the hijab are treated poorly, according to the poll.

One girl said her mother wouldn't let her wear the hijab in public outside of school because she's not Muslim and she thought it might offend other Muslims.

Seraji said she didn't worry that Muslims would be offended by the class experiment because the faith encourages its followers to pray in other churches and unite with those of other faiths.

Magda Bayoumi, of Syracuse, a Muslim and member of the Central New York Islamic Society, spoke to the class about how she feels wearing the hijab. Bayoumi said she finds people will stare at her hijab at a meeting rather than listen to her ideas, and that can be frustrating.