I never thought I would take the word “unattractive” as a compliment. The concept of hijab has changed the way I view myself and the world around me.

Several months back I remember watching a group of niqabis and thinking to myself, masha’Allah how beautiful and graceful they look! I felt such an awe and respect for them. I adored them and aspired to be one of them. But worldly desires held me prisoner for a while.

It all happened on exam day. I noted that perhaps I was the only one in the examination hall who didn’t look that tense. Well, I was a little nervous but of course, I tried not to show that. I sat with both my hands at the back of my head and watched the panicking girls around me. It was fun. My fun didn’t last long though, as the invigilator started distributing our exam papers. However, even that didn’t put off my mood. I was more amused at the sight of the extraordinary reactions of my classmates but it all soon changed when the invigilator gave the paper to a girl next to me. She looked at me and smiled. I could tell that she had a few things to talk to me about but before she came to me, a voice boomed into the hall.

The topic of hijab is one that evokes and provokes. It generates within all of us a plethora of thoughts and emotions. The web and media are replete with opinions of Muslim women and politicians on this sensitive topic. Some non-Muslims have used hijab as a springboard to unleash virile anti-Islamic polemics. Here I wish to share some thoughts on hijab from the perspective of a Muslim male living in America…

We must remember that we cannot see into the hearts of humankind and so we cannot judge and, certainly, cannot condemn.