No ha estat fàcil per a Safaa Bokhari practicar la seva fe com a dona musulmana a Amèrica. La mare, que viu a Oakland, Pennsilvània, va dir que ha estat assetjada verbalment per portar un mocador al cap.
Però Bokhari espera que quan sigui el moment que la seva filla, Salma Bokhari, decideixi si porta o no la bufanda, serà un món més segur per a les dones musulmanes.
És per això que la mare musulmana de 30 anys s'ha associat amb una organització comunitària de Pittsburgh per llançar Hello Hijab , un mocador petit que es pot utilitzar en Barbies i altres joguines infantils.
MARANIE STAAB
Grace Fetterman (esquerra) i Salma Bokhari juguen juntes amb nines.
Bokhari va dir a The Huffington Post que espera que Hello Hijab sigui utilitzat tant per musulmans com per no musulmans, perquè els nens s'acostumin a veure les dones que porten el mocador.
"La idea que els nens i les nenes juguin amb el hijab i el hijab esdevingui una cosa habitual, crec que marcarà la diferència en el futur", va dir Bokhari. "No serà un problema per a la meva filla, si vol portar hijab, no es consideraria una cosa estranya".
Gisele Fetterman es va associar amb Safaaa Bokhari, tots dos residents de Pittsburgh, per oferir hijabs fets a mà com a accessoris per a nines.
Bokhari i la seva amiga, Gisele Fetterman, tenen unes filles de 5 anys que els agrada jugar amb nines.
Fetterman va tenir la idea de crear un mocador de la mida d'una nina que els nens puguin utilitzar durant l'estona de joc, i els ingressos de les vendes es destinaran a entitats benèfiques.
Bokhari va dir que estava d'acord amb el projecte.
"Estava molt contenta perquè, ja saps, no pots ser creatiu si tens por", va dir a The Huffington Post.
Bokhari i Fetterman van trobar una modista musulmana a Pittsburgh que podia crear les bufandes. Les dues mares van elaborar una targeta educativa que explica què significa el hijab per a les dones musulmanes que el porten i per què és important celebrar la diversitat.
A partir de l'1 d'abril, Hello Hijab estarà disponible per demanar per 6 dòlars al lloc web For Good PGH . Els hijabs vindran en diversos colors i patrons. Alguns es faran amb hijabs donats que porten dones musulmanes.
Segons Fetterman, el 100% dels beneficis es donaran a organitzacions com el Centre Islàmic de Pittsburgh i la Unió Americana de Llibertats Civils.
Fetterman espera que el producte arribi a nens de molts orígens. El seu somni és que cada escola i guarderia que tingui nines tinguin una nina que sembli una dona musulmana.
"Vull que les nenes vegin les seves mares amb aquestes nines, que els nens de tot el món els juguin. Vull que els nens nord-americans es familiaritzin amb els hijabs", va dir Fetterman.
KRISTEN MICHAELS / FOR GOOD PGH
Una mostra de la targeta educativa que vindrà amb el hijab de cada nina.
Quan Bokhari va arribar per primera vegada a Amèrica des de l'Aràbia Saudita el 2013, portava una abaya (una peça de cos sencer), un mocador i un vel que li cobria la cara. Va dir que la seva indumentària religiosa va atraure mirades i comentaris negatius de desconeguts.
Bokhari va decidir deixar de portar una abaya el 2016, en lloc de portar un mocador sobre roba com una camisa de màniga llarga i uns texans. Però la por a la discriminació no ha desaparegut.
"Fins i tot el mocador s'està convertint en un problema ara", va dir Bokhari. "Em sento espantat tot el temps, per ser sincer".
Safaa Bokhari (esquerra) i Gisele Fetterman es van reunir a casa dels Fetterman el dilluns 6 de març de 2017 per discutir els plans per a la seva iniciativa conjunta, Hello Hijab.
El hijab és molt més que un accessori, també és un concepte espiritual, que engloba com interactuen els musulmans amb el món. Tot i que tot això és difícil de representar amb Hello Hijab, Bokhari va dir que no li importava.
"Si aconsegueix l'objectiu que vull per a la meva filla, em va bé", va dir. "La idea del projecte és només que la gent s'acostumi al hijab perquè sigui més fàcil per a les dones portar-lo".
KRISTEN MICHAELS / FOR GOOD PGH
Una mostra d'una bufanda Hello Hijab.
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I am surprised this article is being featured in this platform. Promoting the wearing of hijab as a spiritual practice is stupefying. This seems to be a tacit attempt to indoctrinate next generation of women born in a free country, using the thin veil of modesty. Strange..
If the hijab has spiritual or sacred meaning, why turn it into a toy? Scenarios where children trying to be creative or funny would put hijabs on other dolls, stuffed animals etc or use them for other play purposes are inevitable. Kids can learn to be respectful of the symbol or can also mock it with or without intention if it's given to them as a toy.
Can someone please let me know why women wear the hijab ? In what way does it contribute to spiritual development ? Why women in particular have the dress code ?
Educating others about your culture is a good thing and hopefully when your daughter grows up, society will be less judgemental. What I find hypocritical is how you want to change society in the western world yet I don't see much said about changing the lives of women in the Middle East. It is well known how badly the expatriate women who work as maids in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are treated. They have no voice when they are beaten and raped, made to work long hours and paid so poorly. No one has tried to change that society. How about raising your voice about that? That would make you a hero in my eyes... most definitely.
Everyone should have the freedom to practice their own beliefs. If wearing a headscarf is the outward display of that belief, then it should be acceptable to all. However I think the explanation could be more explicit on the card (given with the dolls headscarf) for better understanding. It doesn't make it clear why the headscarf is an integral part of the belief or practice.
Also any display of a belief should be universal. If a headscarf is acceptable then wearing a cross and chain should also be acceptable, which sadly is not always the case. It has been said that wearing a cross and chain is not acceptable as it may offend those of a different faith. You cannot have double standards if we are to be truly accepting of each other and others beliefs.
Isn't it really an insult against Allah to cover up the beauty of a woman's hair? I suggest not more hijabs in our USA and less hijabs in Saudi Arabia
I feel sad and heavy reading this. Sensing such a deep and long time conditioning imposed upon women they can not even aware of themselves in prison of oppression and trying to feel some meaning in life justifing little decoration inside of jail - all the while without realizing they are actually in the jail. I wonder what I can do to help them to be aware of their own jail and break out of it and stop dragging their daughters into same jail. If they feel some sense of belonging and safety by staying in jail, maybe there is other ways they can meet that needs without submitting to the unwholesome demand on women. If she needs something that will help her feel like that she is seen and matter among Americans, she can find so many ways she can shine.
I am continually saddened by how a religion with so many beautiful and peaceful tenets has been hijacked by a militant public face, and I applaud this homegrown effort to promote Religious acceptance. I believe that positive creativity echos the Spirit of the Creator, and I think God smiles when two good women try in a small but powerful way to represent the spiritual practice of their faith to the general public in a way that promotes understanding. Aren't mothers everywhere motivated by the love of their children to make the world a better place? And here we see two mothers doing what all loving mothers do.
I am speaking out against all religions and cultures that require women to swaddle themselves. The roots of this so-called "modesty" is shame of women's bodies and blaming women for men's sexual predatory thoughts and behaviors. No! I do not want to see Hijabs, Berkas, Habits, Jewish Headscarfs or other oppressive and required clothing for women normalized. Where does such a dress code exist on earth for men? Let's see some men try to functon wrapped up in mandatory body-cover/shaming clothing when it is 100 degress outside, or when swimming, or running, or biking, or just living! Spare me the "discrimination" claim. Where the discrimination lies is in oppressive patriarchal cultures and religions! Destroy the Patriarchy!
Islam, not www.thereligionofpeace.com
Not sue what "Daily Good" came out of this article. :(
Islam is a violent political ideology with a thin veil of religiosity for protection.
https://clarionproject.org/...