My hijab, my choice

When some people see Muslim women with their heads covered, the first impression they get is that these women are oppressed. As a 7th grade student, I have faced many such prying questions due to my headscarf. As I was raised as an Ahmadi Muslim in the United States by parents from Bangladesh, my parents had to struggle to make sure that I was aware of my identity as a young child.
After wearing my hijab, I instantly recognised many changes in the way people behaved towards me. Many ignorant students attempted to remove my hijab from my head and seemed to think of it as a humorous act. I know my purpose and my reason behind my choice of wearing my hijab. On February 1st, which marked the first anniversary of the “World Hijab Day,” I held my head up high to be known as a young Muslim girl.
Husna Ahmed Mirza
New York, USA