A hijab, the headscarf worn by some Muslim women, is often seen as a symbol of oppression. Except these hijabis are proving how the garment is just that – something they choose to wear – making it more visible on television screens, in sports and public service. By existing where their presence is “unexpected”, these women are a powerful reminder that they can “take up space” in important rooms and how a woman’s decision to dress as she pleases is solely her business.
Raffia Arshad
The UK’s first hijab-wearing judge, Raffia is a member of St Mary’s Chambers in Nottingham and became a deputy district judge for the Midlands circuit in May 2020. A 40-year-old mother of three, Judge Arshad is an expert on Islamic family law and comes into her latest position following a 17-year-long career. This isn’t the first time Judge Arshad has had to confront her identity. The first to attend university in her family, she was advised by her family to not wear the hijab to a scholarship interview. Raffia wore it anyway, eventually receiving a significant amount towards her education. Since dreaming of a legal career as an 11-year old while doubtful whether someone who looked like her could succeed in the field, she now hopes to champion diversity in the space.
Zeena Ali
New Zealand’s first hijabi police officer, Constable Zeena Ali will wear the official headscarf as part of her uniform, which she helped develop. Born in Fiji, Zeena moved to New Zealand with her family as a child and says she was inspired to join the police following the attack on the mosques in Christchurch. She has said she’s proud to wear the hijab, to represent Muslim women in particular and hopes that women who may previously have not considered a career in policing because they were unsure how the professional choice would sit with their cultural or religious ones would now see that both can co-exist. She has emphasised the value of more Muslim women actively participating in their communities because, at present, many of them might be too scared to speak to the police especially if approached by a male officer, and that greater diversity in frontline roles can help reduce crime.
A news correspondent for Channel 4 News, Fatima Manji is the first hijabi news presenter in Britain. Graduating in history and politics from the London School of Economics, Fatima has reported on the migration crisis in Europe and politics in the UK. Previously, she reported for the BBC World Service.
Bilqis is the first hijabi player in NCAA Division I basketball. When she didn’t make it to the Women’s NBA in 2014, she hoped to continue her career in Europe. But the International Basketball Federation’s rules didn’t allow headgear. Unwilling to sacrifice wearing the hijab, Bilqis joined a campaign to change what she saw as a discriminatory policy. In 2017, the organisation changed the rules to allow head coverings like hijabs and turbans in international competition. Bilqis started Muslim Girls Hoop Too, a movement to encourage young Muslims to express their identity and play the sport. She’s now a mother and works as a grade-school athletic director in Canada.
A five-time UAE champion, at 17 years old, Zahra became the first woman from a Gulf country to compete professionally as a figure skater internationally and the first to do so in a hijab. It was watching Ice Princess when she was 11 which changed the course of her life, from first convincing her father to allow her to take lessons and then waking at dawn to get practice time in before school. Her achievement is significant in a sport often marked by revealing costumes in the women’s category. Zahra wants her example to encourage girls, particularly from her part of the world which tends to have conservative views of what women are allowed to do, to play all sports, not just figure skating.
If you have trouble thinking of a woman in a hijab as a model, Mariah Idrissi will change your mind. Appearing in an advertisement for H&M in 2015, Mariah became the first hijabi model in a western fashion campaign. She’s since worked with brands like M&S and MAC Cosmetics in the Middle East and is involved with film projects which challenge Muslims stereotypes.
Heard of a hijabi singer-songwriter? That’s exactly what Yuna is. Starting her career at university while studying law and releasing her music on social media to viral success, Yuna is a Malaysian artist with an “R&B/Jazz meets pop” sound. She started writing her own songs when she was only 14 and taught herself to play the guitar. Yuna has since recorded with Pharell Williams and collaborated with Usher. At the beginning of Ramadan this year, she announced on her Twitter page that she had worked on a hijab collection with a Malaysian brand.
CoverGirl’s first hijabi brand ambassador, Nura wasn’t always sure about wearing the headscarf. But she now says she’s “honoured” to represent Muslim women internationally in the makeup and beauty industry. She says growing up makeup helped her build confidence at a skill but only started making video tutorials after her daughter was born. It was while sometimes breastfeeding that she’d watch YouTube and realise there weren’t many women in hijabs wearing makeup. Nura has changed this and often matches her scarves to the colours she uses in her look.
