Assaf, American Hijab

July 1, 2008

Aref Assaf

One of the great things about America is its ability to have a national debate on any issue and create change as a result of that debate. The fact that African Americans were not allowed in major universities, or the front of buses, or certain bathrooms only 50 years ago and today we have an African American presidential candidate is a testament to this American greatness.

But to achieve this greatness, marginalized communities must first overcome the challenges of American bigotry and racism which have included mob violence, harassment, defamation, and exclusion. Many Muslim Americans are undergoing some of these challenges today in America albeit not to the same extent or magnitude as other minorities endured in the past. Islamophobia is running rampant in American society, which we saw again this week with the removal of two Muslim women from their seats on stage during a Detroit campaign event for Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL).

The decision to ask the two hijab-clad women to move was made by volunteers for Obama's campaign, who were concerned about having the presidential candidate and the women's headscarves in the same frame. Since then, we have seen the expected outrage from the usual sources, and even from some unusual ones like FOX News. How dare a candidate whose campaign platform promotes diversity exclude Muslims to the extent that they cannot be seen "out of the closet" in his campaign?

But then again, why should we be surprised? For the past year and a half, presidential candidates have been either running scared from the Muslim vote or exploiting anti-Muslim hysteria to win cheap votes (Rudy Giuliani comes to mind). Candidates have raised millions of dollars in Muslims' homes throughout the U.S., but have not allowed any publicity or even photographs to be taken at these fundraisers. And in the most recent sign of fear on the campaign trail, Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) campaign dismissed Michigan businessman Ali Jawad, an Arab American, from the campaign's state finance committee.

Our challenge as Muslim Americans is to help America overcome its insecurities and achieve freedom from fear. Muslim women's' hijab or mens' Kufi are not the issue. Muslim women have a right to choose for themselves whether they want to wear hijab or not. It is a woman's right to choose how to express herself, and modesty is not the domain of men to determine how women should attire themselves. Many men need to achieve modesty as well, both in behavior and in appearance. Unfortunately, the hijab has been politicized by government interference in places like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Algeria, Turkey and other Muslim countries.

The real concern among Muslims and all Americans is about our equal rights to political participation. Change in this arena is not just about photo opportunities or media appearances. It is about a movement for progress and serving American interests that avoids the extremes of self-victimization and self-hating ideologies.

America needs the mainstream Muslim voice now more than ever. We are the ones who want real change and we are the ones who understand the value and benefits real change. The challenge, therefore, is not with Obama or McCain to simply issue apologies and disclaimers. The challenge is within each one of us in producing a constituency of like-minded Americans to vote, to get politically involved, and to pursue justice.