Women celebrate World Hijab Day at University of Minnesota: "It's an immediate sisterhood"
MINNEAPOLIS — Every year on Feb. 1, World Hijab Day is celebrated. It is a day recognizing millions of women who wear the hijab.
In Islam, women wear the Muslim head covering known as the Hijab to maintain modesty.
New York resident and social activist Nazma Khan founded World Hijab Day back in 2013 to celebrate women who choose to wear it.
11 years later, it's celebrated by women all over the world, including right here in Minnesota.
Inside Al-Madinah Cultural Center at the University of Minnesota, women from all walks of life chat on the couch. You can quickly tell they all express themselves differently through their hijab styles.
Rahma Yusuf, a freshman, is wearing a black hijab while her good friend, Salma Omar, is wearing a colorful mint hijab with gold earrings.
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"I feel like my style is casual, I just wrap my hijab around, tuck it in," Yusuf laughed.
"I like to match my outfits with my hijab," Omar added.
But no matter who you ask, the reason behind putting on the hijab is very similar.
"I choose to wear it because it brings me closer to Islam, makes me feel pretty and I just love it," Omar said.
Shahd Hagerlsafy's hijab journey began five years ago.
Wearing her Gopher crewneck and grey hijab, she beamed with excitement talking about her journey.
"I feel happy knowing that I'm representing my religion," she said.
Hagerlsafy said she appreciates having a day recognizing women who wear the hijab.
One by one, students start to funnel inside the cultural center, all with different styles, but they all echo the same message.
"I feel like it's an immediate sisterhood when I see other women wear the hijab," Yusuf said. "I feel like I have someone to look up to."
It is estimated that people in 150 countries take part in the day.