Young Muslim Women Discuss Wearing Hijab

Rowaida Abdelaziz says wearing the hijab sometimes interferes with usual U.S. teenager activities, but that it’s worth it to her faith.CNN profiles a young Muslim high school senior who says she doesn’t wear the hijab because she’s submissive. Rather, the hijab means beauty to her, a vehicle for relieving identity pressure. Some young Muslim women like the hijab as a sexual barrier between them and young men. They want to be taken seriously for their minds.

“It’s not oppression; it’s not that I’m accepting degradation — it’s about self-respect,” she says.

But it’s more about faith as well. She says the hijab affirms “Islam in the most respectful and purified way.”

“When you actually wear it, it opens your eyes,” she says. “It makes you want to explore your religious faith.”

At times, Abdelaziz says she wonders what it would be like to attend her prom, get a tan at the beach and have a boyfriend.

But she says her decision to honor her faith is already paying off.

“It really feels good,” she says. “It felt like I was missing something and now I’m complete. I finally understand my purpose.”