Kamilah Pickett says she has seen every form of stupidity come her way because of her modest dress.

‘It’s easy to view someone else as an ‘other’ when you don’t know their story,’ she said.

Pickett, an African-American Muslim and author of the piece ‘Ten Things About Me,’ dispelled myths about Islam by sharing real-life stories about herself and other Muslim women at the Jabberwocky Cafe on Tuesday night.

Three University of Chicago students started the Hijabi Monologues in 2006 to challenge common notions about female Muslims with stories of their everyday lives, according to the america.gov website. Pickett, who converted with her mother at age 12, joined the group in November 2009.

The term ‘hijab’ applies not only to a traditional head covering for Muslim women, but also to a form of modesty they are expected to practice.

‘It’s a piece of fabric, not a magic wand,’ Pickett said.

Varsty Muhammad, a second-year child and family studies doctoral student, started practicing Islam in 1998 after shifting among several other faiths, including Baptist Christianity. At first she wore her hijab only to attend her temple, but she began wearing it full time in 2000.

She chooses to cover her hair with fabric and leave her neck uncovered, although Muslims with more traditional views tend to cover their necks as well, she said. In her view, modesty is required, even if the hijab and its many styles are optional, she said. 

‘It’s just material. It doesn’t make you a Muslim,’ she said.

Zohura Ali, a senior finance and accounting major who attended the monologue, practices Islam and chooses not to wear a hijab, although her mother and two older sisters wear it. She said her mother believes the hijab can help both men and women suppress temptation and favor intellect over appearance.

‘You can cover your hair and act like you’re good, but still do all these bad things,’ Ali said.

Azhar Ali, president of the Muslim Student Association and a sophomore health and exercise science major, said the ‘biggest misconception’ of Islam is that the hijab is a form of oppression upon women. Some of the most ‘driven, focused and goal-oriented’ women he has met choose to wear the hijab, said Ali, who attended the monologue. 

Said Ali: ‘It helps you focus on exactly why you’re here.’

geclarke@syr.edu

Published on April 5, 2011 at 12:00 pm