04 February 2019•Update: 04 February 2019
By Hassan Isilow
PRETORIA, South Africa
Unlike in other parts of the world where Muslim women are often discriminated for wearing a headscarf, the story is different in South Africa, said members of the community.
“We in South Africa celebrate Hijab Day by being grateful for the freedom our country has afforded us in openly our religion and being able to freely wear our religious garments,’’ Jawairiya Aboobaker of the Muslim NGO Baitul Salaamz told Anadolu Agency late Sunday during celebrations to mark World Hijab day in the capital Pretoria.
Aboobaker says commemorating Hijab Day was aimed at informing Muslim women to feel proud of wearing their headscarf because it is part of their religion.
She said although South Africa is a tolerant society, there are a few people who sometimes target Muslim women dressed in the veil by calling them "ninja".
The gender activist said her organization will strive to educate bullies to respect veiled women and understand why they cover themselves.
She also called on citizens of other countries that often discriminate against veiled Muslim women to be tolerant and stop the hate.
Over 70 women gathered on Sunday to listen to various lectures commemorating World Hijab Day at a mosque in Hammaskraal on the outskirts of Pretoria.
Various speakers dispelled myths surrounding the wearing of the Muslim religious head cover, saying it was a religious obligation and should not be viewed as a form of oppression against women as suggested by some critics.
This year of the day focused on black women who are a Muslim minority in the country, mostly to Islam.
“Most of the ladies who attended did so for the first time and were willing to learn about how other women fare in countries that don’t allow them to freely wear the hijab,” Aboobaker said.
She added that in South Africa it is a cultural norm for black women to attend funerals and church service covering their hair as a form of respect or modesty.
Public schools also accommodate young veiled Muslim women and bearded young men, unlike other countries.
Muslims make up about 2.5 percent of South Africa’s 57 million population. Regardless of their numbers, Muslims play an important role in the country’s economy. Some are engaged in politics, academia, and trade among others.
South African Muslims are viewed as moderate and live in harmony with their fellow countrymen.
