NIMCO ESSA

Nimco Essa is a 19-year old Muslim girl who lives here in Columbus, Ohio. Nimco is currently a first-year college student at Otterbein University here in Westerville. She's double majoring in biology and psychology. I sat down with Nimco at a local Starbucks and asked her questions about what it's like to be a Muslim girl here in America.  I've known Nimco since I was a little kid and in recent years, she has tapped into fashion to express herself. Down below you'll see Nimco pictured wearing a beautiful pink dress, with a purple hijab for a pop of color, and a pair of lace detailed heels.

Y: What does the hijab mean to you?

N: Hijab: "the traditional covering for the hair and neck that is worn by Muslim women.n" noun. This is Merriam-Websters definition of the hijab. This definition makes the hijab makes it seem like it’s an accessory. The hijab is more than just an accessory or a piece of cloth we wear to "cover". The hijab, to me, is a barrier. A barrier between everything that is evil and myself. a barrier between expectations that are set for women and my true self. The hijab allows me to function in society as my true self. Although the hijab comes along with its own set of stereotypes, it also comes with liberation. Crazy how covering something can liberate it. No one sees my beauty so they are forced to see the real me. All that I am capable of, all my of knowledge and hard work. And not, simply, just another woman. The hijab is also an identifier. Labeling me as a Muslim woman. A woman who lives by the Quran and believes in Allah. The hijab contributes to my way of life which is Islam.

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

N: I was about 7 or 8 when I started wearing the hijab. In the Somali community, culture and religion are interchangeable. It's very common to start wearing it that young and you don't think much of it. You see more people wearing the hijab than those who don't wear it. It wasn't a choice but it wasn't forced upon me either.

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

N: The hijab doesn't affect my everyday life. That's like asking how does waking up/brushing/getting dressed/etc, affects my everyday life. It doesn't, it is my identity. It's not hard wearing it. It's just a part of who I am. Most times I forget it's even on my head.

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

N: I don't think wearing the hijab gets in the way of certain opportunities at all. If hijab isn't known to be associated with a certain thing, break barriers. MAKE it associated with it. Be the first hijabi in a field or area. It doesn't constrict anyone in any way shape or form. Now being denied an opportunity because of the simple fact that you're covered is a whole other discussion within itself.

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

N: I do take into account how I style my hijab. Most of the hijab I know, myself included, love to switch up the style of their scarves, coordinate the color of it to match their outfits, have different material scarves that sit differently because of the material, and even switch between turbans and scarves. The hijab doesn't make us any different than any other girl who likes to color coordinate her outfits.

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

N: I 100% believe the hijabi community is underrepresented in the fashion industry. So much so that we had to create our own fashion "industry" to represent ourselves. And within our fashion world, black hijabis are underrepresented as well. In modern day fashion, it's very hard to find modest clothing. Very hard to see someone who looks or dresses similar to you. Shopping is a hassle because every skirt you see has a slit in it and a pretty dress you find just so happens to be backless. It can get very frustrating trying to stay up to date with trends and enjoy fashion the way you wish you could. Definitely, something that needs to be changed considering there's just so many Muslims around the world.

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

N: My outfit in the picture above is from; forever21 (dress), forever21 (shoes), local Somali shop (hijab- yay for supporting local businesses). This represents my style because it's a very modest, very flowy look. It's a nice spring look and still pretty fashionable although I'm covered head to toe.

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

N: I've dealt with some self-esteem issues by wearing the hijab. Growing up, you see that the beauty standard is to have long beautiful hair. And when you have that but can't show it, it takes a jab at your self-esteem. I used to think I wasn't as pretty as other girls because I covered my hair and essentially my "beauty". I had convinced myself that I looked better without the hijab and was really "holding myself back" from not only opportunities but just being as "pretty" as I could be. It was hard trying to overcome these thoughts alongside regular girl insecurities and made me wanna actually take it off. But I realized, showing my hair or not doesn't make me any less beautiful than I am. Anyone who will truly appreciate my beauty doesn't need to see all of me. They just need to see me, for me. And when I realized that, I started to love the hijab even more.

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

N: Advice I would give to someone who just started wearing the hijab is; love yourself for you. If you started wearing the hijab to strengthen your relationship with God, then don't let anyone get in the way of that. You're going to have times where you don't want to wear it, or your outfit just looks better without it, or the guy you like doesn't know just how "pretty" you are without it. But don't let any of that get in the way of your spiritual journey. Have that confidence in yourself to know you're beautiful and you don't need anyone else to tell you that to know it. Self-love is key.

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

N: If I could tell anyone one thing about the hijab it would be that the hijab is liberation. The hijab will open so many doors for you aside from spiritually. It comes with respect, teaches you self-love, protection and will lead you to a way of life you never thought you could acquire.

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

N: One stereotype I wish I could erase would be that women who wear the hijab are "oppressed". Not to say there aren't cases where girls are forced to wear it because of the community they're in or familial obligations. But the number of women who wear hijab for themselves is substantially larger than that small few. Muslim women aren't oppressed for covering. Is the case of oppression is solely based on clothing and being forced to wear something, then wouldn't it be the same for other women as well? Who feel like they have to wear (or not wear) something to feel beautiful? Accepted? Oppression comes in many forms but one thing we Muslim women are NOT, is operated.