As participants in “Behind the Veil,” 28 non-Muslim female students learned about life as Muslim women as they wore head dresses, or hijabs, on Wednesday.
“Behind the Veil,” an event Sara Yasin, a junior in textile and apparel management, said she thought up last summer, invited students to experience firsthand the life of Muslim women by mirroring their attire for a day, which includes covering their hair and entire bodies minus their faces and hands.
Yasin encouraged participants to abide by Muslim guidelines, such as not eating pork or drinking alcohol when wearing the hijab.
Wednesday evening, the organizers of the event along with a panel of female Muslim students sat to talk to the participants about past experiences and impressions from the day.
While one student said she participated “out of sheer curiosity,” Meghan Witzke, a junior in graphic design, said she participated because she thought it was an interesting concept.
“I didn’t get any kind of weird looks [while wearing the hijab],” she said.
Witzke said she sensed people were looking at her less than when her hair is uncovered, which she guessed was out of respect.
She said understanding the lives of Muslim women wearing hijabs on a daily basis could not be achieved without experiencing it firsthand.
“It doesn’t feel like you’re hiding yourself,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like you’re ashamed. It feels like you’re proud.”
Ayesha Ali, a senior in elementary education and member of the panel, noted that people are forced to get to know those wearing hijabs for their personalities instead of outward appearances.
Katherine Sammis, a freshman in First Year College, also participated in “Behind the Veil.”
“I was not apprehensive when I walked out [of my residence hall] because I’ve seen how accepted [Muslim students are on campus],” she said.
Sarah Oraby, a junior in biomedical engineering and member of the panel, said the University is supportive of the Muslim Student Association.
“I feel I am a part of the community,” she said.
Sammis said that although no one made comments about her head covering, she did see reactions among her classmates.
“In some of my classes, I walked in late and everyone turned and looked,” she said.
For Alyssa Smith, a senior in industrial design, wearing the hijab was a lesson in self reflection.
She said she was more conscious of her actions than she is normally.
“I felt I was representing an entire group,” she said. “I didn’t want to misrepresent them.”
On the panel, Muslim students represented females who do or do not choose to wear the hijab on a daily basis. They agreed wearing the head covering is a personal choice and no spoken or unspoken barrier exists between those who do and do not.
Oraby said although some think hijabs create inhibitions for those who wear them, they do not hold her back in any way. She said she swims and participates in physical activity while wearing one.
“If a guy in a wheelchair can set an athletic record, a [hijab] won’t stop me from doing anything,” she said.
Ali, along with other panel members, recalled their first days wearing the hijab in public.
She said she was nervous going to school, but knew she had the support of her friends.
Sara Elsayed, a senior in political science and member of the panel, said she wore the hijab for a “few years” for her family instead of for God.
She said she decided to stop wearing the hijab after realizing she was wearing it for the wrong reason.
According to Yasin, the event was not highly publicized, so that it could be an “honest experiment.” She said she sent private Facebook invitations to students to notify them.
“I would like to see this done bigger — over a longer period of time,” she said. “I hope other schools will look at this and see it as a good opportunity. I definitely see this as a long term project.”
