IDMAN HUSSEIN

Idman Hussein is an 18 year-old Muslim girl from Westerville, Ohio. She is currently a freshman  at Columbus State Community College and is planning on transferring to The Ohio State University. She is majoring in Marketing and plans to attend the Fisher School of Business at Ohio State. Idman is a first generation Somali-American. Idman's style is very unique in the sense that she has a grunge vibe to her outfits. She loves to wear muted colors such as black and the occasional neutral colors. You'll hardly ever catch her in bright colors. Idman is different from most of the girls I interviewed because she just recently made the choice to wear hijab so her hijab story is still very new. I asked her what her transition has been like and how it feels to be a newly visibly Muslim woman in America.

Y: What does the hijab mean to you?

I: The hijab is a symbol of my faith. It represents one of the beautiful aspects of my religion. I feel empowered in my hijab and there's no other feeling like it. 

Y: How old were you when you started wearing the hijab and was it a personal choice?

I:  It was a personal choice and I just recently started wearing it a couple months ago when I turned 18.

Y: How does wearing the hijab affect your everyday life?

I: I wake up, brush my teeth, and shower just like everyone else. It just so happens that before I leave my house I wrap a scarf around my head, to cover my hair. It doesn't affect my everyday life in general but there are some days where it does. When I walk out of my house in my hijab, it's like I'm wearing a sign with a label of my faith on it. People can tell that I'm a Muslim woman and unfortunately, as a result, people see me as a 2-D representation of Islam without my own personality, thoughts, dreams, and aspirations. In other words, less than human. 

Y: Do you feel like wearing the hijab gets in the way of certain opportunities?

I: When I first started wearing the hijab I would always think to myself "this didn't happen to me when I didn't wear my hijab", in regards to the way I was treated in public. It was kind of a culture shock going from someone who would be catcalled in the streets to somebody who would be stared at, sometimes a like of curiosuity on their face and other times with a look of disgust and hatred.  I soon realized that this mentality was toxic.  if I wanted to succeed in life while donning the hijab, I would just have to work harder to attain concrete success, something nobody could take away from me. 

Y: Do you take into account the way you style your hijab according to your outfits or do you wear it the same way everyday?

I:  I actually tried the turban style and failed miserably. I've noticed that the way you style your hijab can really make or break an outfit. When I want to dress a little more sleek, I wear my hijab tighter around my neck and let it hang down my back. When I want to dress in a more girly/romantic manner, I wear my hijab looser and show some neck, while smoothing down my baby hairs. 

Y: When it comes to the fashion industry, do you think hijabis are underrepresented?

I:  I don't think it's necessarily hijabis that are underrepresented but more so black hijabis. If you get on google and type "hijabi fashion" into the search engine, you will encounter countless images of fair skinned Arab women or even white models. Recently there's been an increase in black hijabi models in some of my favorite Muslim brands and it's quite refreshing. 

Y: In the picture above, where is your outfit from and how does it represent your style?

I:  I always find a way to incorporate the color black into my outfit. I like going for more form fitting pieces underneath baggy, cool jackets and dusters on top. My olive duster is from Top Shop. My hijab is from Target and my jeans and body suit are from Forever 21. I would describe my style as grungy with a hint of soft. My closet is mostly black, I usually try to stick to muted shades.

Y: What hardships have you faced wearing the hijab and what have you learned from it?

I:  I told myself when I got out of elementary school, I would start middle school in a hijab and I did. It lasted about a week when I realized my old friends from elementary school didn't want to hang out with me anymore. In middle school everyone was trying to figure out what was happening to their bodies, experimenting with different clothing styles and infatuated with the prospect of finally having a boyfriend.  I found myself noticing that no one wanted to deal with having a friend in a hijab, like it was a way for their "cool factor" to go down. I didn't wear the hijab again until this year, my freshman year of college. 

Y: What advice would you give to someone who just started wearing hijab?

I:  I would give them the cliche answer, "it gets better". It truly does get better with time and you start to eventually ignore the unwanted looks and whispers. With time, you start to learn what hijab style best suits you. You also start to feel more comfortable and confident about yourself when you get past that beginner stage. Overtime you will start to have more confidence in the hijab and people's opinions won't effect you as much. 

Y: If you could tell everyone one thing about hijab, what would it be?

I:  I would tell everyone that hijab or no hijab, Muslim women should be treated with the same respect as every one else.

Y: What is one stereotype about Muslim women you want to erase? 

I: I want to erase the "oppressed" stereotype that comes with Muslim women that cover their bodies. My religion doesn't oppress us and I hope one day the world will see the beauty of my hijab.