Are you a Muslim woman living in a non-Muslim country? Are you worried about what the people in your country will think if you start that Hijab? Are you afraid to go to a hijab store wondering what your friends, neighbors or colleagues will say? No one can deny the fact that if you are a Muslim living in a non-Muslim country, practicing Islam can be very difficult. In Islam, we believe that the more difficult the task is, the higher the reward is.

5 Struggles Faced by a Hijabi Woman Living in a Non-Muslim Country

1. Facing Islamophobia

The world as we know is progressing by leaps and bounds. New technologies, gender-neutrality, and social acceptance for all types of people are just some things that the world is seeing. Even then, islamophobia is on the rise. Islamophobia is the dislike and hatred of the world towards Muslims.

Women who wear the hijab are the biggest victims of this Islamophobia in non-Muslim countries. There are so many instances in which Muslim sisters wearing the hijab have been bullied, injured and even killed just because they were wearing the Hijab, just because they were following the teachings of Islam.
I know so many Muslim women living in the West who don’t want their daughters to wear the Hijab even if they want. They are scared that one day their daughters might become a victim of this Islamophobia.

2. Social Discrimination

Wearing the Hijab tags you as a Muslim. You are wearing your religion, your identity on your sleeve. That might end up making you a social outcast amongst your friends. There are so many cases of bullying that occur daily because of the hijab. At times, even your friends might not want to be seen with you. The social stigma with the hijab still exists.

3. Discrimination

Only in the U.S.A alone, there have been many reported cases of discrimination against Muslim women wearing the hijab. Women have been denied access to simple things like entry into a restaurant to major issues like unemployment from work.

4. To Fit in While Being Modest

Many people confuse the Hijab with the total Niqab that some women do. In Islam, you are asked to wear modest clothing so that your body does not show to others and the headscarf (Hijab) is mandatory. A major struggle most Hijabi women face is how to dress in a non-Muslim country with the Hijab.

Styling the hijab with your everyday clothes is not easy. Young girls are reluctant to wear the hijab as it does not go with every outfit. For such people, there is good news. There are so many cute hijab styles and hijab designs that you don’t have a problem choosing now. You can visit any hijab store or look up hijab fashion styles to get the latest trends.

5. Explaining Yourself

We know, we know! It does get tiring answering the same questions again and again. Many non-Muslims think that the hijab is something that bounds women. It is a thing that is forced upon us and that we don’t want to do out of choice. It restricts us, it brings us down or it is something we do under pressure.

I have had so many people come up to me and ask me why I wear the hijab and why was it forced upon me. It does get tiring answering these people time and time again! But, I do it for the sake of Allah and so should you. Keep it short, keep it simple. Tell them you are doing this out of your free will and acting upon the lines of Islam. Things will become easier over time!

Wearing the hijab in a non-Muslim country is an act of bravery and requires a lot of motivation, commitment and resilience. Best of all, the hijab does not need to be boring. At Hijab Square, the best hijab store online, you can find a variety of hijabs of your choice. Choose whatever color, style and fabric you want. From jersey knit Hijab to chocolate brown jersey Hijab to peach jersey Hijab, they have everything!