Non-Muslim schoolgirls in Lincolnshire, England, are being asked to don the Islamic hijab headscarf for a day in November.
Ghada Mohamed of the Lincoln Muslim Sisters Forum is organising the event, which she hopes will be taken up by high schools all around the country, to increase non-Muslim girls “knowledge” of the religious garments and decrease alleged incidents of abuse against hijabi girls.
The BBC reported that one Muslim girl told them that “the hijab was part of her identity, but wearing it sometimes made her feel like she was not part of the community”, and that she supported Mrs Mohamamed’s initiative.
The idea that Muslim girls might try not wearing the hijab to feel more like “part of the community” was not raised in the BBC report, although it was broached on social media by talkRadio host Julia Hartley-Brewer.
“‘Lincolnshire non-Muslim girls asked to wear hijab for a day’ — or how about the Muslim girls try NOT wearing a hijab for a day and see how nice life is in a free society where women are equal with men and don’t need to cover themselves to get respect?” she tweeted.
“Lincolnshire non-Muslim girls asked to wear hijab for a day.”
Or how about the Muslim girls try NOT wearing a hijab for a day and see how nice life is in a free society where women are equal with men and don’t need to cover themselves to get respect?https://t.co/tVzMfWfGhK
— Julia Hartley-Brewer (@JuliaHB1) August 5, 2019