#HijabisFightBack: A Refusal to be Silenced

By Sarah Mohammed

Belgium ruled that “prohibiting religious symbols — including hijabs — in higher education does not constitute a violation of freedom of religion or the right to education under the Belgian Constitution and European Convention on Human Rights.” This court ruling was issued because Muslim women challenged Francisco Ferrer College for not allowing its students to wear head coverings/hijab. The Brussels court followed it up with a constitutional ruling that complies with anti-muslim sentiment shared by many. However, Muslim women in Belgium refused to be silenced. Through the hashtags #HijabisFightBack and #TouchePasAMesEtudes (Leave My Education Alone), activists have brought the issue to social media and gained widespread media attention. Along with social media activism, thousands of protestors gathered on the streets of Belgium to fight this unjust constitutional ruling. They have the support of several feminist, anti-racist organizations, including the Council of European Muslims (CEM), Belges Comme Vous, and several more.

Despite this ruling, many universities in Belgium have expressed their support of continuing to allow headscarves, and welcome students regardless of gender, race, religion, or ethnicity. This support from Belgian universities is an important reassurance that many people do not share the same sentiments as the Brussels court. By banning hijabs, these universities are restricting women the freedom to express themselves as they want. Female empowerment is seen in various ways, one of them being the hijab. As said by Fatima-Zahra Ait El Maâti, a feminist author, “It is funny, though, to think that at the age of 24, there are people who think about liberating me — and especially, who think they can do it better than I can.”

As the world is uniting to resolve this issue, we hope that you can do your part as well to help these women’s cause. Help anyway you can by educating your communities, signing petitions, or even spreading the word about their injustice with a simple Instagram post would be enough. May Allah give them the strength to continue to fight to wear the hijab and be strong enough to give up the temptations of this Dunya. May Allah give guidance to all women to wear the hijab proudly and practice wearing modest clothing.