As a non-Hijabi, stepping into a mosque in Singapore is pretty intimidating. There seems to be this unspoken rule that if you’re not wearing a hijab, you’re not welcomed in the mosque. Of course, you can ignore this and enter but be prepared for rude stares and snide comments. What surprised me was that I got this from fellow sisters wearing the Hijab.
Yes, I understand that donning the Hijab is an obligation for Muslim women but this harsh judgement and unwelcoming attitude shown towards women who do not wear the Hijab is not right. It is a great shame that some Muslim women are looking down on other Muslim women when they more than anyone know not to judge a person by their appearance. Just because I don’t wear the Hijab does not make me any less of a Muslim than a sister wearing a Hijab.
This is not to say that every Hijabi is like this. Not at all! I have hijabi friends who are extremely accepting and supportive of me in my journey towards strengthening my Deen and I thank Allah SWT for surrounding me with these beautiful people.
With that said, I do hope that some of our Hijabi sisters find it in their hearts to respect and appreciate their non-Hijabi sisters as fellow Muslims too.
Beyond The Hijab 