I’m a born Muslim. I wear Hijab.
Of my sisters one sometimes wear hijab and has experimented with niqab too, but she faced a lot of hostility & abuse from non Muslim people so stopped the niqab, she was frightened her young children would be targeted as well as her and was afraid of being physically attacked.
My youngest sister is a fashionista and is always sporting the latest trendiest haircut and clothes and said she’d wear a hijab if her husband asked her to (he never has, he’s an Arab if that makes a difference).
Middle sister doesn’t wear hijab either.
My parents have never said anything to any of us about it, my brothers ex wife never wore hijab either and nobody batted an eyelid.
I used to wear hijab since primary school, started to properly wear it in secondary school when I learned more about it and felt it is a Islamic requirement.
I have an assortment of Muslim friends, some who wear everything covered up from head to toe, to others who don’t wear hijab.
One of my closest friends doesn’t wear hijab, she finds it very difficult to wear it out and about as she feels she is targeted for abuse when she tried. She lives in a very white area so already sticks out as a brown face.
I have had people yell abuse at me very occasionally, but these days I normally have my white clearly English DP beside me and it really confuses people.
I also try to always be smiley and engaging when I come into contact with people in shops and restaurants. It’s important for me people I meet have a positive impression of me. Because it’s never just me, we’re always judged as a whole, if I do anything negative I can pretty much guarantee my actions will be attributed to all Muslims everywhere.
My children also wear hijab, they chose to themselves, they began by stealing my hijabs and they do crazy funky things with them. I would not force or stop them wearing hijab it’s their choice. I’ve promised to take them shopping for their own hijabs over the summer holiday, they both have preferences for different materials and accessories.
I am very strongly of the ‘there is no compulsion in religion’ thought.
To each their own. And I’d like very much to be left alone to get on with my life instead of being told I’m too stupid to have autonomy over my own sartorial choices and that I need to be forced to uncover by non Muslim people who are of superior of intellect and are trying to forcibly relieve me of some imagined oppression. Or from my own stupidity.
I do not have anything to do with any country but England which is where I was born and bought up, my grandparents are buried here. I have no say in regimes in the Middle East for example. I do campaign for women’s rights and support a lot women’s and children’s charities both domestic and international.
My sartorial choices are no more supporting opressive regimes than any other regular English persons is in support of Donald Trumps for example.