Students met to participate in Behind the Veil, a seminar in which students discussed and learned about the role of the veil in the lives of Muslim females. The event took place Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in Talley.
“It’s a dialogue and social experiment in which non-Islamic women veil for the day,” Doa’A Dorgham, a sophomore in psychology, said
Dorgham organized the event this year.
The workshop included a session in which students were able to exchange opinions and ask questions of a student panel composed of Muslim female students, half of whom wear a veil and half of whom do not. Both sides of the panel gave their respective reasons for wearing or not wearing a veil.
In Islam, wearing a veil is part of the act of “hijab,” for women, which involves modest behavior and covering the entire body except for the hands, feet and hair.
The organizers of the event expressed their hopes for a successful evening.
“I’m excited. I hope that we’ll have a good turnout,” Dorgham said.
“On our Facebook page, about 30 have already confirmed [their attendance] for the event,” Farris Barakat, a sophomore in civil engineering, said.
Barakat is the social coordinator of the Muslim Students Association, which co-sponsored the event.
The event was first held January 2007 and was the idea of Sara Yasin, a graduate of the class of 2009 who began wearing a veil when she was 15 years old.
With the help of the Women’s Center at the University, Yasin planned the event as a means of educating others about the veil.
As part of the event, non-Muslim female students adopt hijab for a day. During this time, they are expected to follow Islamic principles of not drinking alcohol or eating pork, not displaying affection in public and not uncovering their heads in the presence of men unrelated to them.
Shannon Johnson, the director of the Women’s Center, said she enjoyed adopting hijab for a day in order to experience the feeling of being different.
“On that day I choose to wear the headscarf, to walk in someone else’s shoes,” Johnson said.
Barakat said he was proud to have seen non-Muslim students wearing the veil earlier.
“I saw about five non-Muslims wearing the veil around campus, and it made me and a lot of Muslims proud,” Barakat said.
Sarah Mohammed, a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill, attended the event in order to see what it was like.
“UNC has panels on women and Islam, but none specifically on the hijab,” Mohammed said.
Christina Harp, a freshman in international studies, expressed her enthusiasm for learning about hijab.
“I think it’s going to be interesting, because I really don’t know that much about it,” Harp said.
The event also welcomed male students, although they were not expected to take part in wearing hijab.
“[Guys] are welcome to attend and to gain insight, [though],” Dorgham said.
Hudson Raines, a freshman in the University Scholars program, said he hoped to have his questions about veiling answered.
“I hope that it answers my questions on why women choose to veil, not to veil, whether others find it offensive, things like that,” Raines said.
Barakat said the event was important in educating people about the realities of hijab.
“I think it’s really important because it’s important to get to know the experiences they go through, what [the girls] face in daily life,” Barakat said.
According to Barakat, there are many misconceptions about the veil. For example, his sister who wears a veil went to a hospital once to participate in a summer program and was questioned by one of the patients whether she had undergone chemotherapy because of her head covering.
“This event’s important to clear up misconceptions about those who choose to veil,” Barakat said.
Mohammed said the concept of the event was a very important one.
“I think that it’s an important event because it stands for something very important and it’s relevant to all students, especially female students on any campus,” Mohammed said.
