Sara Zayed: The Perks of Being a Hijabi

At the annual Hijab Fest, the hottest modest clothing is showcased, paired with inspirational and spiritual talks such as that of guest speaker Sara Zayed, who spoke of the Muslim-American hijabi experience. Living in a society where hijab isn’t the norm, often associated with Islamophobic and racist ideas, is no easy task. It is so easy to get bogged down by the negativity associated with hijab that we often forget the amazing perks that come with it. Sara Zayed’s speech summed up just how good we have it as hijabis:

1. Teachers and professors always remember you. Your participation in class will never go unnoticed.
2. You’re a walking billboard for Islam. This could be intimidating but imagine the amount of dawah you’re doing just by putting your hijab on in the morning.
3. Whenever you accomplish something huge, like Sara who ran the a marathon (masha Allah!), you’re recognized and you showcased how amazing Muslim women are. When you run a marathon covered from head to toe, you send a message that Muslim women can do anything, and sometimes better than most.
4. You recognize your sisters everywhere you go. Built-in networks and support systems!

This is not to dismiss the trials of Muslim women, but sometimes it helps to sit there and think about the good that comes from our hijabs. All power to you girls rocking the hijab!