A Hijabi Blog!

I’m sharing my hijab story with you today, not because it’s special per se, but rather to shed light on some struggles some of us do face before wearing our hijabs. Maybe we can spread awareness of what non-hijabis go through, stop judging them, just embrace their fears, reassure them that they’re not alone, and show them the real beauty of hijab.

I wore my hijab 20 years ago. I’ve loved the concept of hijab ever since I was a little girl, but in all honesty, many in my inner circle and my community were not fans of the idea. You would assume that wearing hijab is easier in the Middle East, well, not necessarily so! I’ve heard it all... “You’re too young”, “you’ll look old”, “you’ll become different (negatively was the connotation, as you can imagine), “you’ll stop caring about your looks”, “it’s too hot”, “you’ll take it off later”, “who said hijab is really a must in the first place?”, “you will limit your job opportunities”, “you want to cover in front of X, Y, Z?!!!”, “hmmm, is that a way to save money on your hair and beauty?”…ugh, the list was endless, as I’m sure many of you have heard or gone through.

The idea of starting my own business terrified me. The thought of me starting something totally new (just because I want to) was so crazy… “Who would do that? Why? At this stage of my life?  I’ve invested in my academic life for so long, and now I want to start ... business?”