Hijab Trends in Indonesia, especially Jakarta.

Fifi Alvianto, Anneke Scorpy and Hanna Faridl have set up Casa Elana, 

a shop that specializes in modern jilbab. 

(Photo credit: JG Photo/Lisa Siregar, via The Jakarta Globe)

  .....

In Indonesia, many Muslim women choose to cover their hair with a headscarf, also known as jilbab.

While the decision to wear a hijab can limit women’s options in terms of wardrobe, many young women in Jakarta have been experimenting with fashion options and ways of wearing their hijab with attitude.

Over the past year, many different styles have emerged among the city’s hijab-wearers, including cotton scarves and oversized headbands to accentuate the look. For many women, the symbolic headpiece has become a way to express both their beliefs and their styling abilities.

Read more in The Jakarta Globe.


From what I have noticed, the trends for young generation hijabi, particularly in Jakarta, are casual look with lots of cotton materials and 'drapery'-style clothing:

• long loose-fitting clothes made of cotton, such as: long cardigan, maxi dresses or jumpsuits, long skirts, bat-wing sleeves, also harem pants and wide/super wide-legged trousers, etc.
• ninja look-alike headdresses that cover not only your hair, but also your neck and upper bosom. They come in variety materials, from spandex to cotton,
• cotton shawls (are so popular), wrapped in loose style and mostly are in plain colors or stripes. 
• big headbands, brooches, necklaces, and also belts, to accessorize the look.
• greater variety in inner scarves (crossed, layered, accessorized, lace, colorful, etc.)
• 'tie-dye' motifs on shawls, skirts and dresses, 
• pleated skirts, tiered skirts,
• hooded tops,
• kaftans, for wedding party or other formal occasions.

There are still a lot more pieces and designs, but the ones that are most easy-to-find around are those above.

The immense option for natural fibres, such as cotton, is definitely intended to suit Indonesian climate which materials should be breathable, soft and cool. Also linen and silk are comfortable to wear in tropical climate.

Sometimes, I thought that these hijabi fashionistas look similar, in term of the wardrobe pieces they wear. On the other hand, the looks are different in a way of 'mix-and-match' and how they wrapping and accessorize their headscarves. On wrapping headscarf, these girls are so creative! :)

But, like Coco Chanel said, "fashion fades, only style remains the same", the trends will change and only your style left! So, wear what is comfortable for you that can also expresses your personality.. :)


What fashion trends going in your town/city right now? Do you follow the trends? 

Can you describe your own style?

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Girls, this time I just want to share what I find lately. My favorite hijab-style fashion icon, Yuna Zarai, performed at the U.S. last night.

Actually in the past few days, there were some posts that I wrote and I wanted to share with you, but somehow, my blogger's draft was always in error and I couldn't publish anything... So, I try again this time, hoping this post can be published.. :)

Check out what I read below:

(Image: Marie Claire)

Petite and stylish, Yuna Zarai scurried onto center stage at Webster Hall last night to play her opening set. While most of the audience members knew the main act, R&B singer Raphael Saadiq, it was the first time many of them heard of the young Malaysian songstress. It was only her second performance ever in NYC.

After taking her place on a stool behind the microphone, she softly tuned her guitar before all the lights — and eyes — were on her. When she looked up, a huge smile formed on her face. "Hello!" she said exuberantly, quickly following up with a girly laugh.

Read more: Malaysian Songbird Yuna Zarai Brings Her Unique Sound and Style Stateside - Marie Claire 

See also the slides of her photo-session and quick interview with the fashion forward site, Refinery29, that show off her unique-chic style, just click here.

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Recently, fashion designer Rabia Z took the challenge put up by the tabloid! to create three Hijab-friendly looks for 'Dubai World Cup'.

She mixes conservative with chic for some alternative race day looks. Here they are:

Creation by Rabia Zargarpur
Image Credit: Arshad Ali/Gulf News

These designs by Rabia were featured on the Gulf News yesterday, complete with the styling tips on each look from her.

You can read the full article here.



Another fabulous Race Day Look is from two ladies during the 14th 'Dubai World Cup', in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which took place two years ago, in March 2009:

(Image: Flickr.com)

Love the bold color of the kaftans and the hat. Look so fresh and elegant..

'Race day style' hijab looks on the Runways:

(Images via hijabstyle.co.uk)

It's amazing that chic hats and bold fascinators can 'go hand in hand' in a style with hijab. Love all those 'hijab-and-hat' combos.. :)
 
Which look do you like most?

*Race Day = Horse-Racing Events, such as the Grand National, the Melbourne Cup, and the Dubai World Cup.

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Emirati Abaya Designer, Amal Murad, talks about fashion, abayas, and this year's style on The Gulf Today, January 21, 2011.

What is the inspiration behind your designs?

My main inspiration is our tradition and heritage which I combined with contemporary fashion where I choose only what is suitable for my designs.

Any lines coming up this year? Conceptual sculpture adopts wearable forms that reflect women’s modern lifestyles.

What is your style for 2011? Loose fitting abayas. Creating a luxury retreat, aesthetic in silky jersey qualities and creating maximum drape & exaggerated unstructured silhouettes.

What’s your style tip this year, what’s going to be in?

Want to know the answer and more from Amal Murad? Read the rest of the interview here.

(Photos via I Love Hishma)

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"I like to look cute while I'm covered, too"

An interesting article to read about nowadays Muslimah attire, including how modest fashion blogs can influence their styles. There is a growing enthusiasm from Muslim girls around the world to glam up their hijabs, add a twist to their styles, trading style tips and wrapping techniques through online forums.

Read the article in The Globe and Mail here.

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By Fatemeh Fakhraie, Special to CNN

August 30, 2010 -- Updated 1044 GMT (1844 HKT)

Editor's note: Fatemeh Fakhraie is the Editor-in-Chief of Muslimah Media Watch and Contributing Editor for Altmuslimah. She writes for CNN as part of the "Muslim in 2010" special coverage.

(CNN) -- Muslim women are more high profile than ever in 2010. However, a problem remains: news stories about them are fixated on appearance.

Most major stories about Muslim women revolve around how they look and what they're wearing -- not who they are and what they are doing.

Read the full article on CNN website here.


What do you think of this opinion? Does it have a positive or negatif impact for Muslim women? Do you have any other opinion? Please share with us... :)



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Dubai-based fashion designer, Rabia Z, share her top styles to drape hijab this season to the Gulf News.
Read the article here, with the accompanying video tutorial here.

What do you think of these hijab styles from Rabia?


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There is a big discussion happened in regard to the article on Muslimah Media Watch written by Diana, entitled 'Coverage of “Fashionable” Muslim Women Cramps Our Style'. You can read the article and all of the comments replying to the article here.

Below is my comment in reply to the article:

Assalamu'alaikum wr wb.

It's nice to have this kind of discussion here, and I would like to share my opinion too, as I wrote on the comment's section on Hijab Style Blog, with some addition:

I personally feel happy with the way media represent the muslimah style and fashion recently. Most of them appreciate our faith and our modest style.

But sometimes Media try to make 'hot stories' by creating contradictions or conflicts between something (eventhough this may have a positive value, but sometimes this is not right, and media should remember that they have responsibilities, ethics, and values to write stories/articles based on that). 

In this case, Media, in some way, contributes to create a dichotomy between niqab/abaya wearer and tunic-jeans wearer, or could be between hijab-wearer muslim women and non-hijab muslim women... the perception that some people on the other side are more or less pious than the other. This kind of perception, shaped by the media, can make an uncomfortable situation for us, muslim women, that actually it shouldn't like that.

Ideally, we, as muslims, have to bear in mind that all of us are trying our best to obey Allah SWT; to do what Allah wants us to do. All of us are just trying our best, in our way, to be close to the "Real Truth from Allah". We all have the same intention. So, there is no need to get into dichotomy, trichotomy, etc, and to judge each other.


And about our clothes as a hijab, me as a hijab fashion blogger too, have a basis according to Qur'an:
Surah 7:26

O ye Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness,- that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition!

So clothing does not have to be drab. It is all right for both sexes to use clothing to enhance beauty as well as to cover nakedness. The most important thing is to be modest and righteous.

One more thing I'd like to add is in regard to the BBC's question: “But doesn’t the showy nature of fashion contradict the essence of Hijab?”

In my opinion: No, it doesn't contradict. I think based on the ayah above, it's okay if we are showy about our clothes, as long as we're NOT SHOWY about OUR BODY. (Allah knows best)

Fashion is showy. It shows creativities on clothes/outfits. So does 'Muslim Fashion', it is showy, it shows creativities on modest clothes/outfits ('modest' according to Islamic rules).

So, what is wrong with 'Muslim Fashion'? Perhaps for some people, the reason why they want to deal with 'Muslim Fashion' is because they do want to fit in and be a part of mainstream society (nothing wrong with this as long as they keep follow Islamic rules in their life, for example: wearing hijab in western style; And people have their own reason why they want to fit in);
And for some other people, is because they want to create beautiful outfits (still within Islam's rules of modesty) in their own style as their self expression. And this is all right too according to the ayah above.


Do you have any other opinion? What do you think about the way media covers muslimah clothing? Please share with us? It's all right if we have different perception or different point of view. These will wider our horizon... ;)

Note: Read also the most recent article about muslimah clothing in these media:
The Guardian: Muslim schoolgirls show that faith and fashion are not incompatible
MLive.com: Islamic fashion now appeals to non-Muslim women, too

And tell me what do you think about those articles?

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Jerome Taylor witnesses a fusion of fashion with traditional Muslim dress


Friday, 2 July 2010

Hana Tajima adjusts a headscarf at a photo shoot for her
fashion label Maysaa (Photo: Courtesy of Susannah Ireland)

Perched on a stool in a cavernous warehouse in north London, a model with bright blue eye make-up carefully adjusts her top as a photographer works the light around her. She is dressed in a beautiful, sleek, black satin shirt, topped off with a simple, unadorned hood.

As the photographer lifts up his camera, the model brings the hood up to cover the back half of her head. “That’s it,” he says, as the flash fires. “Beautiful.”

Welcome to the world inhabited by the “Hijabistas”, a trendy set of up and coming Muslim fashion designers who are doing their bit to forge an indigenous British Islamic identity. Until relatively recently, young Muslim women who wanted to dress according to Islamic rules of modesty (hijab) had pretty limited options. They could either adopt the type of immigrant clothing worn by their parents, or try to cobble something together from high street chains, where modesty isn’t exactly seen as a best seller, especially in the summer.

Read the rest of the article here.



Two of my favorite designers are here! :) They both are featured on The Independent's Fashion News. Hana Tajima-Simpson from the brand "Maysaa" and Sarah Elenany from the brand "Elenany". I'm a big fan of their designs. How proud I'm of them. They have brought muslim women's pride and dignity through their designs.


Quoted from the above article, Tahmina Saleem, co-founder of Inspire, a consultancy which helps Muslim women become vocal members of their communities, says: 

"the Hijabistas are simply doing what Islam has always done, integrate and assimilate with the culture around it."

Yes, I think that's true. Regards to the Islamic Fashion Festival in Jakarta recently, and to the recent article on LA Times about Hijab Style in America, you can see that Islamic wears have been infused, integrated, and assimilated with the local/traditional culture.


So, whether it's in Uk, America, or Indonesia, "the Hijabs" have their own identity...




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Recently, Hijab Style publish a post about the popular 'puffed' hijab on The Media Line. If you don't read it yet, you can read it here. It's an interesting topic for me, especially because few of my friends and my blog's readers once ever ask me about it: it's permissible or not, and the Media often blow up this issue. So, I was wondering about that.

The 'discussion' that came up at the comment section of the post also draw my attention. One of the readers left an interesting comment (and I agree with it), which reads:

"I can't believe people make such a fuss over nothing! As a muslim woman, it annoys me that every small decision we make such as our hair UNDER our hijabs is blown totally out of proportion. It's totally our choice what we decide to do regarding hijab." - Jaz.

At the first time when people ask me about this 'puffed' hijab. I'm not really sure it's allowed or not. I just think logically... When we have a long thick hair, where should we hide it underneath our hijab? We need to tying our hair up in a bun. It's also give some air circulation around our neck, and it's a bonus if people find it gives a beautiful shape to the hijab. I think this is natural. As long as we just put the bun normally and naturally, not extremely high on the top of our head, I think it's okay.

Few people use this hadith to prohibit the 'puffed' hijab:

Abû Hurayrah relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There are two categories among the inhabitants of Hell whom I have not encountered. The first are people who carry whips like the tails of cows and beat the people with them. The second are women, clothed yet naked, drawn to licentiousness and enticing others to it, their heads like the swaying humps of camels – they will neither enter Paradise nor even smell its fragrance, though its fragrance can be found to a great distance.” [Sahîh Muslim (2127)]

Based on the link of explanation that Jana has given to us, that hadith is very frequently mis-interpreted. Here's the link to read a thorough explanation about that. It shows no real proof to prohibit simply tying your hair up in a bun.

Perhaps the problem here is if we use a big abnormal imitation bun/hair clips to make a 'look' that seemingly we have a long thick hair, but the fact is not.

And I agreed with what Jana said to The Media Line:
Jana said she noticed the emergence of this style mostly among the younger generation.

“Young women are always eager to try out new trends, especially those that come out of the Gulf, as they are often associated with luxury and high fashion”. 

She continued:

“Religious authorities always seem to be trying to control women’s expression of fashion, perhaps for fear that trying unconventional styles is somewhat a rejection of religious values. However, I believe it should be treated like any other fashion trend that will probably die out with time.”

Hope this article can give an answer to all of the doubts about 'puffed' hijab style, and stop us for making judgement on other people before seek for the truth.

And Allah knows best.

What's your opinion?

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Shopping websites, magazines and blogs are catering to Muslim American women who want to look fashionable while dressing modestly and staying true to their faith.


Wrapped Up In Style

By Elisabeth Greenbaum Kasson, Special to the Los Angeles Times

June 6, 2010

Sama Wareh has a style all her own.
(Christina House / For The Times)

On a recent, sunny Saturday in Orange County, 26-year-old California native Sama Wareh stood outside her apartment complex wearing a textured, brown cotton hijab, held in place by an extra-large safety pin, decorated with tiny, dangling, multicolored replicas of Russian nesting dolls. On either side of her face, she had gathered the ends of the head scarf in Native American-style laced-leather ponytail holders purchased nearby at Knott's Berry Farm. Her dress, an Empire-waisted vintage find with gray, blue and white stripes and short puffed sleeves, was supplemented for modesty with a slim, long-sleeved gray T-shirt and thick gray leggings. On her feet, she wore a pair of knee-high, naturally distressed, square-toed boots.

Organic and entirely unself-conscious, her look had the kind of effortless cool that might make a blind follower of fashion envious.

A field naturalist, traveling scientist and fine artist — as well as a Muslim — Wareh draws inspiration from a variety of sources, frequently mixing it up with Renaissance dresses, cowboy hats, kilts and bold jewelry. Her personal sense of style is so unique that she's been asked by non-Muslims if what she's wearing "is allowed."

Read the rest of the article on Los Angeles Times.

In my opinion, muslim women in hijab still want to be and feel like their own self, sometimes need to express their self, showing their identity, their root... and the diversity they have been creating together through their individual style will show up a beauty, a beauty of diversity.

Check also the awesome photoshoots of stylish hijabis in America here. Very inspiring!

What do you think of their style?

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Choosing to wear Muslimah Headscarf


Krista Bremer's daughter wanted to wear a headscarf. Read Bremer's story as she explores the place where religion, self-image, and motherhood intersect on O, The Oprah Magazine (May 27, 2010).

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Muslim designers mix the hijab with latest fashions

Jana Kossaibati, the editor of Hijab Style; Sarah Elenany, the designer of Elenany; and Hana Tajima-Simpson, the editor of StyleCovered and the designer of Maysaa, were featured on BBC News.

Hana even make a hijab make-over on Shaimaa Khalil, the BBC World Service reporter. These three muslimah-fashion-icon ladies are my source of inspiration.

Hijab Style was the first site I was looking at for hijab style information at the first days I wore hijab.

On that days, actually I felt excited but I thought I'm lacking of style/fashion taste, and I didn't know what to do with my 'old' clothes. I thought I have to get rid of most of them and buy the new ones, but I didn't have a big budget to buy new clothes.

Then, I discovered Hijab Style that boost my confident on wearing hijab, and 'taught' me how to mix and match the clothes I already have. I remembered, I look at Hijab Style's Outfits and Reader's Contribution categories, I felt amaze and surprise about how hijab can look sooo fabulous; that wearing hijab won't block you to express yourself, and made me realize that even we wear hijab, the styles to chose are endless... :)

From Hijab Style also I knew about Sarah Elenany. Her urban-sporty street wear designs really inspired me and I think they are suit to my personality... :) The last, but not least, I found Hana on StyleCovered, who inspire me to feel comfort with my own 'skin'. Their designs can really fit in the community, especially for the 'western community' I think; their designs make you feel not separate to your society, make you feel that you're not a foreigner from the middle-east country in your own motherland-country. My appreciation goes to Elenany and StyleCovered for their edgy looks... ^_^

Thank you, Ladies! Keep up the good work, and hope someday I could go to England and meet all of you! :)

If you are as excited as I am, has a passion to celebrate our modest style, and do not know yet about the article, I think you should read it. You can read it here.

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Dear Hijabi Sisters, please make sure the safety of you in wearing hijab.

Times Online reported a news about a horrible accident. I knew about this news from Ange on her blog, Hegab Rehab.

A woman in hijab was go-karting with her family in Australia yesterday when her headscarf became entangled in the go-kart's wheel causing her death. My deepest condolence to her family.

From that accident, we got a lesson to always make sure that our hijab or headscarf has 'pass' the 'safety standard' while we are on machinery environment or while we are in recreational activities that would be dangerous if there are any kind of flowing/hanging-down things; it could be a headscarf, tie, necklace, long hair, etc.

So, if you are going to do such type of activities, wear pants instead of long skirts or abaya, and please tighten your headscarf, or put the flowing/hanging-down part of your headscarf into your clothes and pin it; Or, simply wear a sport hijab (there are many types of sport hijab, you can read about it here on my previous post), or wear an al-amira hijab just like Ange suggested. You can read Ange's suggestion here on her blog. Minimally, you can wear a long-sleeves turtle-neck shirt or polo shirt with high neckline (so it would also cover your neck), and a simple hat or a bonnet/underscarf that could covers all of your hair and ears.

What breaks my heart is some unappropriate comments on the newspaper... Some people use this story to 'blame' the hijab. May Alloh give us strength and creativity to design better and better hijabs that would be modest, chic, comfort and safe for each of our activities.

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The Guardian.co.uk just published an article about young women living as a muslim and wearing hijab in Ecuador, the first place you wouldn't imagine encountering young Muslim women. But Ecuador has its own confident community. Here are some quotes from the article:

A group of young women in hijab talk animatedly as they await the start of their weekly Islamic class. This is a scene that could easily be from a mosque in London, Cairo, Indonesia or New York. However, this is happening in Quito, the chatter is in Spanish and the ladies are all Ecuadorian.

Here in the heart of an overwhelmingly Catholic South America, an unmarked building in an affluent suburb in the centre of Ecuador's capital city provides a focal point for the country's few thousand Muslims. White walls, geometric designs, sumptuous furnishings and shelves arranged with Islamic literature complete the spacious interior of the Centro Islamico del Ecuador.

You can read the rest of the article here.

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I know from the Hijab Trendz that the Gulf News has reported about how Islamic fashion has growing. Estimated to be worth Dh350b (more than $96 billion), the industry offers fashion students an opportunity to tap into a growing market.

Apparently, the increasing of people who wear Islamic clothing be the pulse that attract more muslim students design clothes with Islamic themes. Today, people from all over the world are beginning to show their interest to islamic clothing. As said by Tamara Hostal, Director of French Fashion University ESMOD Dubai (ESMOD):

"Fashion today is moving and passing between different continents as more people travel the world and bring traditional influences back to their own countries. People are increasingly showing they want to wear clothes influenced by Islamic culture as countries that are not yet very Islamic are starting to be".

Hostal also added that:

"Global brands like Fendi, Gucci and Calvin Klein introducing Islamic elements into their recent collections, making it apparent that growing trends and increased demand in a fashion-conscious world means Muslims are no exception".

What do you think about this? Hope it will bring us more options to shape up our styles.. the mix and match between western and eastern... ^_^

Visit here to read the full article.

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Hijabs du jour and hijab don'ts: Whether the Muslim veil takes the gentle Pakistani drape or the face-hugging Saudi wrap, it is a style statement.

By Carol Huang Staff Writer / December 12, 2009

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

For many Muslims the question isn’t “Should I veil?”

Skip to next paragraph

It’s “How should I veil today to match my outfit?”

As the trend of wearing hijab spreads, so, too, havehijab fashions. Women from New Jersey to Jakarta are trying new ways of wearing wraps taught on YouTube or showcased on runways. They’re wearing silk print scarves and scarves from The Gap, sheer scarves with sequins and hot-pink frilly scarves, scarves awash with the Fendi logo.

Whatever the look, hijabistas share one style principle: This is not their mother’s head scarf – conservative, plain, a little too formless.

“It looks kind of like a tent,” JoKima Hamidullah says of her mother’s veil. “Like a burqa,” but shorter.

The New Jersey housewife, who offers hijab du jours and hijab don’ts on her Islamic fashion blog, one of hundreds filling the Internet, gets her ideas from mainstream trends.

Read the rest here.

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By Elyse Rosenberg (Correspondent)

Published: Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Updated: Sunday, February 22, 2009

It's a great learning about Hijab, that "you should wearing it with a big responsibility". I found this articles, about weeks ago but I forget where the source is. I share this story to you as a lesson (or in Bahasa Indonesia "hikmah") we could learn in our life (Editor).

For Melody Khalifa, Rutgers College senior and co-secretary of the Islamic Society of Rutgers University, the Quran is a key guide to how she lives her life as a Muslim woman.

The Quran - the sacred text of Islam - is revered as the word of God and was dictated to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel, according to Islamic belief.

Because of her belief in God, or Allah, Khalifa, like many other Muslim students at Rutgers, wears the hijab.

Hijab is another name for the headscarf worn by Muslim women to "guard their modesty," according to the Quran.

The Quran states women should not display their beauty to any male, except their husbands, closely related family members and children.

James Pavlin, part-time lecturer in the University's Department of Religion said most people define hijab as a covering over the hair and the wearing of loose-fitting clothes that cover the entire body.

"Typically, this means that the face and hands can be exposed," Pavlin said. "The face veil is not considered an obligation according to most scholars, but it is recommended."

Khalifa said she began covering with hijab in the summer after fifth grade when she was 11 years old.

A Muslim woman is not obliged to wear hijab until she has reached puberty, Khalifa said. "If a young Muslim woman is approaching puberty, there may be fear of evil or immorality," she said. "Wearing hijab is a means to prevent such harm."

Pavlin said one of the main arguments for wearing hijab and modest behavior is that a Muslim -man or woman - should not be distracted by flirtations.

"The need to impress the opposite sex through physical displays of beauty is not an issue," Pavlin said.

Khalifa said although wearing hijab is an obligation, she was never forced to do so.

She was encouraged to cover with hijab after being introduced to it at a young age by her mother who wears hijab.

Pavlin said most Muslim men do not force their wives and daughters to wear hijab, especially in non-Islamic societies.

"Nevertheless … many women recognize the importance and spiritual significance of the hijab, and wear it as an expression of faith just as a Muslim would pray and fast or abstain from alcohol," he said.

Not all Muslim women begin wearing hijab as young as Khalifa. Rutgers College senior Anna Sohail started covering less than three months ago on the first day of the fall semester.

"I knew I'd be coming to school and seeing a lot of people … it would be a good opportunity to start," Sohail said. "Looking around and seeing other girls cover, that would be support."

Sohail said her hometown is largely Jewish and Christian, and if she waited until graduation to cover, she wouldn't have the same support she has at Rutgers, where there is a large Muslim community.

She said the biggest misconception about hijab is that women who wear it are oppressed.

"A lot of girls are doing it because they want to," Sohail said. "I'm still free thinking. I'm not being oppressed in any way."

Pavlin said the idea that hijab is a cause or consequence of oppression is driven by Western biases.

Pavlin said in recent years, religious life has undergone a revival in Muslim countries. "The hijab is being worn by many women who see it as a sign of spirituality and as a means of taking their place in public life," he said.

Sohail said she is the youngest of three sisters and the only one to cover. "It was a little strange for the fourth daughter to start wearing hijab out of nowhere," she said, referring to the decision to cover as her own choice.

Hijab is about respect for women, Sohail said. "It's about them not being objectified and guarding one's modesty," she said.

Just as women wear hijab, men are told to lower their gaze. "There is no excuse for men to go out and stare at women," she said.

Sohail said wearing the hijab is an internal struggle. "Living in this society, it's not completely accepted," she said. "You have to struggle with yourself to do it everyday."

Even though she sometimes feels like she sticks out since Muslims are not the majority in society, Sohail said she feels good about wearing hijab.

"It's something I want to do and have to do," she said. "At the end of the day, you feel like you're doing the right thing."

Livingston College junior Amara Altaf also started wearing hijab recently.

"I started reading more about my religion," Atlaf said. "I didn't do it earlier because I didn't follow religion 100 percent. I didn't feel like it was my time to wear it."

Atlaf said after learning more about Islam, she decided to cover and started doing so as a senior in high school.

Altaf said she wears hijab because men look at women with a lustful eye. "Guys look more at a girl when her hair is out than when she has her head covered," she said.

When Atlaf began wearing the hijab, she said the biggest shock came to her friends, who knew she was all about her hair.

"Every morning I'd wake up an hour early to do my hair," she said. "Now I don't really care anymore."

But not all Muslim women wear hijab. Rutgers College junior Naureen Jaffery wore hijab during her second year in college but stopped after a few months.

Jaffrey said none of the women in her family wear hijab. "It was a big deal for my family for me to have started it on my own and be a pioneer in that aspect," she said.

She said her family never expected her to cover. "If it had been forced upon me, I would have never realized its significance and beauty," she said.

Jaffery made the decision to begin covering after discussing it with friends who did and didn't cover. "It was a huge decision but I had been anticipating it for a while, so it was not anything I wasn't expecting," she said.

While wearing hijab, Jaffery said she experienced both good and bad. "I felt people looked at me differently, that they judged me by my hijab before they really got a chance to get to know me," she said. "However, personally I felt much better as a person when I wore it."

In the summer before her junior year, Jaffrey began to have second thoughts. "I was not strong enough," she said. "It takes a lot of strength to wear it everyday all day and you have to be really prepared for decisions like those."

Jaffrey had an internship with the federal government at the time and did not feel strong enough to continue wearing it.

She said she plans on wearing hijab again in the future. "I need to be spiritually at that level though," she said. "I need to be sure that I will stick with it and live up to it because it definitely is a big responsibility."

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By Niall Firth

In an age when Muslim women come under increasing scrutiny for wearing head-covering scarves, Bahrain's Ruqaya Al Ghasara has proved that a hijab is no hindrance to sprinting round a running track.

Hijab: No bar to track success

Sprinters have long been squeezing their muscular frames into the most eye-wateringly skimpy, tight and revealing costumes imaginable.

But one female athlete at this year’s Olympics is bucking the trend for bulging lycra and naked torsos.

In 2004, Bahrain's Ruqaya Al Ghasara, a devout Muslim, was the first athlete to ever take part in an Olympics wearing a hijab.

Enlarge

Bahrain's Roqaya Al-Gassra powers to victory in her 200m sprint heat today

Today, Al Ghasara won her heat of the women’s 200m sprint at the Bird's Nest stadium - despite being clothed head to foot.

Al Ghasara finished first followed by France's Muriel Hurtis-Houairi and Sri Lanka's Susanthika Jayasinghe.

Admittedly, Al Ghasara 's hijab is a rather sportier version of the traditional dress.

Clinging to her body as she powers down the track the hijab completely covers her head, arms and legs.

Known as a Hijood - or hijab combined with a sports hood - the costume was specially designed for Al Ghasara by an Australian sports clothing company.

It allows Muslim athletes to compete while still adhering to the strict modesty required of their faith.

Al-Gassra prays as she celebrates winning her 200m heat

Al Ghasara, who was the Bahrain flag-bearer at last week’s opening ceremony, jas said the Hijood has improved her performance.

'It’s great to finally have a high performance outfit that allows me to combine my need for modesty with a design made from breathable, moisture-controlled fabric,” she said.

'It’s definitely helped me to improve my times being able to wear something so comfortable and I’m sure it will help me to give my best performance at Beijing.

'I hope that my wearing the hijood sports top will inspire other women to see that modesty or religious beliefs don’t have to be a barrier to participating in competitive sports.'

In 2004 Al Ghasara defied objections from fundamentalists in her village to take part in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, running in the 100 metres.

And in 2006 she won the women’s 200m final at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, making her the first Bahraini-born athlete to win a major international athletics gold medal.

Below: Ruqaya Al Ghasara of Bahrain celebrates winning the Women's 200m during the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 at the Khalifa Stadium December 11, 2006 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images for DAGOC)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1046912/Muslim-sprinter-wins-Olympic-sprint-dressed-head-toe-hijab.html

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