World Hijab Day aims to educate others and end prejudice surrounding Muslim people
Women all over the world are invited to experience the Hijab on Wednesday thanks to a global movement started by a Muslim woman living in New York.
Muslim women are hoping Wednesday, Feb. 1 which is World Hijab day, will help others understand the meaning behind the headscarf.
The Sisters of Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) are teaching others how to wrap a Hijab and they’re inviting Canadian women from all cultures and religions to try one. Ammara Syeda said it’s an opportunity to learn.
“You can try a hijab. You can ask us any questions that you might not ask someone on the street who’s wearing a hijab because you might feel a bit hesitant to do that. So this is a safe space to ask any questions about the hijab and try it on for yourself to find out what you look like, what it feels like,” Syeda said.
The Hijab is a visible symbol of the Islamic religion and the hope is this initiative will help end prejudice against Muslims.
The Islamic Circle of North America said the best way to address Islamophobia is through education like World Hijab Day. The Government of Canada is taking steps toward education as well by appointing it’s first ever representative for combatting Islamophobia, Amira Elghawaby.
“It’s really about coming together, promising solutions and ensuring that a Canadian Muslim anywhere in this country can feel safe,” Elghawaby said.
“She’s in one of the highest offices in Canada and she’s working to combat Islamophobia and she wears a Hijab. That has never limited her opportunities,” Syeda said.
According to The Sisters of Islamic Circle of North America, representation is important and non-Muslim women can help make Muslims feel safe by taking a photo in a Hijab and posting it online for everyone to see.
People can visit www.towardspeace.org to find out how to can get a free Hijab in your city.
In Regina, the ICNA Sisters are giving away twenty free Hijabs on World Hijab Day and will also teach you how to put it on.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.