Salute to the Hijab
Krishna Thakkar is a second year BLS student from Pravin Gandhi College of Law and stands by writing to express her thoughts. She is a creative writer as well and believes that we, all as humans, perceive differently.
Salute to the Hijab
In Islamic terminology the hijab is a veil traditionally worn by the Muslim women in the presence of adult males outside their immediate family, which usually covers the head and chest. In the Quran the word hijab refers to a special partition or curtain which symbolizes modesty and privacy.
This modest yet triumphant athlete, Ibtihaj Muhammad is an American sabre fencer and a member of the United States fencing team who is best known for being the first Muslim American to wear a hijab while competing in the Olympics.
In 2016, Muhammad became the first American to compete while wearing a hijab, making history and adding to her extraordinary participation she also won a bronze in team sabre at the Rio Olympics. Once again she has taken the news makers by surprise by teaming up with Mattel, the United States toy company that introduced Barbie in the year 1959, to create a doll designed after her.
For the first time in its 60 year old history, Barbie will now wear a hijab for a doll modelled on Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad. The doll will be a part of the Barbie line called Shero which is based on women with inspirational backgrounds.
Faegheh Shirazi, the author of The Veil Unveiled says “the purpose a woman covering herself so that a man knows her for her mind and not her body” is an evolved one.
Bing ecstatic at a doll being made after her spectacular achievement she says, “For all those who didn’t believe in me, this Barbie doll is for you. Muhammad was largely pleased with the early version of the doll, which was clad in a white padded fencing outfit from head to toe, with ‘Muhammad’ printed in black letters across the back, New Yorker reported. The doll’s fencing can be removed to reveal the hijab. The announcement about the new Barbie was made at the Glamour’s Women of the Year summit and the doll will go on sale next year.
The doll has not only given respect and paid a tribute to Ibtihaj Muhammad but has brought a new ray of hope for the many girls whose dreams had come to a halt.
Opinions are of the writer.
