Many British Muslim women wear the hijab or headscarf. The hijab is regarded with utmost respect and pride in the Muslim community. Traditionally, the hijab is worn by a Muslim girl as a sign of modesty once she reaches puberty. However, there has been a rise in girls as young as five wearing a headscarf. Ofsted inspectors are to question primary school Muslim girls to find out why they wear the hijab.
Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted suggests, “While respecting parents' choice to bring up their children according to their cultural norms, creating an environment where primary school children are expected to wear the hijab could be interpreted as sexualisation of young girls. In seeking to address these concerns, and in line with our current practice in terms of assessing whether the school promotes equality for their children, inspectors will talk to girls who wear such garments to ascertain why they do so in the school."
The Muslim Council of Britain secretary general, Harun Khan, feels that British Muslim women are being treated like “second-class citizens”. He states, “It is deeply worrying that Ofsted has announced it will be specifically targeting and quizzing young Muslim girls who choose to wear the headscarf. It sends a clear message to all British women who adopt this that they are second-class citizens, that while they are free to wear the headscarf, the establishment would prefer that they do not."
Many British Muslim women have been wearing the hijab from a very early age and are unable to identify themselves without it. It has become a part of their identity and deciding not to wear the hijab is not as easy as deciding to take off your hat.
Although many Muslim women have a sense of pride when they wear their hijab, why do some opt to take their headscarves off? The author of Headscarves and Hymens, Mona Eltahawy expressed, “I wore a headscarf for nine years. It took me eight years to take it off.”
Another Muslim woman, Woodland stated, “The ritual of wearing it almost every day for 13 years was a daily affirmation that I existed in relation to men. I had less freedom because they had more power. I had more responsibility because they had less self-control.”
The founder of a group called Faith to Faithless, Aliyah Saleem was mostly contacted on social media about taking off the hijab. She therefore produced a how-to video and realised that many women still wear the headscarf even after losing their faith. Woman may fear that they will be accused of trying to come across as more attractive. Saleem shares, “Shame is huge. Some women can be stuck for years, paralysed. They want to take it off, but can't.”
Many women may fear being “slut-shamed” or be called by derogative terms because of their choice of taking off their headscarf.
Saleem recounts a story of when she was an 11-year-old girl attending her British Islamic school wearing a headscarf. Although the school was an all-girl school, the CCTV was viewed by men, therefore, she was obliged to wear the headscarf. Whilst playing in the playground, her headscarf had slipped and her teaching came screaming, “You're such a shameless girl, why are you not covering yourself.” Saleem adds, “It was horrible for me. I couldn't understand why everyone cared so much about my hair. I was this scrawny tomboy who had no desire to look pretty. I just wanted to play.”
In the United Kingdom, one is free to dress as they like, practice their religion freely and live a lifestyle of their choice; yet why do some women not feel safe taking off their hijab? Why are they being judged? Women have the right to live the way they want to and make their own choices. What they decide to wear is their prerogative and they do not owe anyone an explanation. Whether they wear a headscarf or choose to take it off; women, regardless of their attire, should be respected and not made to feel guilty for the way they wish to lead their lives.
