To my daughter,
You are the definition of innocence, the physical manifestation of a pure heart. Your newborn smell is a testament to the sweetness that you have brought into the world.
You do not know it, but the world around you is anything but. And I wish I could keep you far from it all, safe within my arms as you are now.
I wish you never had to know that your hijab makes you a target while taking the bus, while walking to school, while out for an evening stroll. A target for curses, and now we know…for things much worse.
But your little feet were meant to carry you forward into the world. And so the best I can do is prepare you and support you. And always, always…pray for you.
When it is your turn to step into the world, know this:
Your clothes are an extension of your identity. That hijab that flows down over your hair says that you are a Muslim woman, carrying on the legacy of millions like yourself. Women whose tongues memorized and taught the Quran, women who founded some of the greatest places of learning in history, women who taught and nurtured some of our greatest scholars and leaders.
Your history books will tell you a tale of oppression, that the hijab takes away your opportunities. And the ‘diverse’ books chosen for novel studies will be those perpetuating only these stereotypes. And the ‘diverse’ movies winning awards will be those exemplifying the white saviour trope.
But my daughter, remember that history is written by the victors. And in Canada, they are the colonizers and those who inherited their power and privilege.
The way they portray you and others like you is not the truth, it is only a single string pulled from a beautiful and stunning tapestry. So keep your eyes focused on the tapestry.
The hijab does not hinder you from anything. Rather the discriminatory policies of a prejudiced society built on institutional racism will try to stop you as a hijabi. Its those things that need to be changed, not you or your clothing.
Don’t forget to find and listen to the stories of the actual people experiencing them. Let the first-hand stories speak the loudest and strongest. “He listens.” [Quran 9:61]. That is how the Prophet was described…those who disliked him mocked him for the quality. But Allah revealed that it was one of his best qualities: the ability to listen actively and discerningly.
The women around you are strong…like them, the hijab sets you apart and makes you stand out. And that’s ok. “Be in this world as if you were a stranger or traveller.” Keep chasing your goals and your dreams, keep moving forward. Your ultimate destination is not to please the people, it’s to do what’s good and pleasing to Allah.
The history of Canada was written in the blood of the indigenous peoples. And it is still being written in the blood of people like you every day…both here and by proxy in countries far away.
Your job in all of this is so simple, perfectly captured in the Prophet’s words: “Whoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart.”
My daughter, accomplishing this will require all your heart. And I pray that you always have the faith to do it, because with this simple life principle, you will change the world.
Maryam Baksh is a graduate from University of British Columbia. She is a member of the Muslim community in Vancouver and a busy young mother.
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking HERE
* This article was published in the print edition of the Times Colonist on Saturday, July 3rd 2021
Photo by Ruthson Zimmerman on Unsplash
