Hijab has become her

One year ago, today, I had shared with you my tears of joy post when my daughter had decided to wear hijab on the first day of school. I wanted to do an anniversary post or rather an update since so many of you wonderful readers made comments and shared in my joy.

If you haven't read my daughter Janna's story, you can read it here.

Janna rocking the Navy Comfijab

On the first day of school on September 7, 2010, my daughter Janna committed to wearing hijab full time. I had emailed her principal and her teacher to let them know that she will be attending the school in her Islamic attire. I wanted to notify the school ahead of time for 2 reasons.

1. She would be the first student ever, in the history of the school, out of 500 students to wear hijab!
2. Her friends from last year all knew her as a non-hijabi and might have different reactions to it.

I wanted the school to be aware and ready to act incase Janna faced cruel remarks, or insults. I didn't think it would happen, but based on her first year as a non hijabi, I remember how one of her classmates had consistently made fun of Janna's thick eyebrows which resulted in a painstaking ordeal.

The principal and the teacher couldn't be more welcoming. They congratulated us and Janna on her mature decision to practice her beliefs, and to take a stand. As most of you who live in the U.S. know, this country is "the land of the free". Since I grew up in the U.S. and we migrated here in 1988 from a Muslim country where we were banned from wearing hijab, I know!

Janna performing at a school musical wearing her White Comfijab

Janna's first few days wearing hijab were a bit chaotic. Even though we had planned her closet and hijabified everything in her wardrobe, she insisted on wearing long wrap scarves that had to be draped and pinned and pinned.   You know the story. After a few days of struggling to put on her hijab and make it to school on time, she decided that there was nothing better to wear then her Comfijabs. This ofcourse made me very proud. Now my little girl, was not only wearing hijab, but she was wearing my own couture design hijabs.

Alhamdulillah, other then a few curious questions coming from friends over time, everyone accepted her for who she was.

Janna and her classmates at the Warriors book signing
{Rocking the black Comfijab}

She has had a great last year, as long as we were in the U.S. However, during our trip to Turkey this summer, she faced ugly comments, insults, and questions coming from the so called secular Turks. She saw things she never saw before, and heard things she would never hear before. It was ugly!

I was of course by her side, and more than half the time, the comments were being made to me as if I was torturing my child by letting her practice Islam at the age of 10. I will not enclose the details of the ugliness we faced, but it left my child scared and timid to be alone in Turkey, a Muslim country. Her experiences probably left her with an ache in her heart. The heart where she couldn't fit her love and admiration for her mother's land.

On a happier note, today, September 7, 2011 is her anniversary of wearing hijab, in the land of the free. She has grown so much, and hijab has become such a complete part of her. I hope this year brings her another year of joy as she goes on to 5th grade and is more active and outspoken among her peers. I hope the ugliness she has experienced allows her to stand rooted to her foundation and her Islamic boundaries.

Janna and her sister and her sister's bff at Build-a-bear
{Rocking the white Comfijab}

Janna's hijab is now a part of who she is. Nothing else in her life changed, and she has never felt that she can't do something because she wears hijab. This is what it's all about. She still ice-skates, plays the guitar, acts, sings, and likes spending time with her friends.

Janna playing guitar with her teacher at the music school
{My baby girl loves the white Comfijab}

Hijab has become her, and again I am so proud!


Elif Kavakci for HijabiTopia