navigating life as a hijabi in the west

assalamu alaikum everyone! i just wanted to share some thoughts on the challenges of being a hijabi in a western country. i'm about to start university, but i've been wearing the hijab for 7 years now, alhamdulilah. i've always felt at peace with it because i was blessed to go to a school with many other hijabis. but as i'm getting older and heading to university, i've started having some mixed feelings. it's not that i doubt hijab is fardh-i fully believe it's obligatory. rather, it's becoming harder to stay strong in it while living in the west. firstly, the political atmosphere where i live is getting more tense (like with the rise of far-right parties). the truth is, many muslim women who wear hijab face a higher risk of islamophobic abuse because we're visibly muslim. whether it's verbal harassment, physical attacks, or even fatal violence, it's a real fear that many of us carry. unfortunately, i've already dealt with several incidents of verbal abuse just because of my hijab. it's tough to just ignore. while muslim men definitely experience islamophobia too, many aren't as easily recognizable as muslim compared to a hijabi woman, and that visible difference brings its own unique struggles. secondly, my next point is more personal, and i know some might see it as shallow, but i want to be honest because i think a lot of young muslim women quietly struggle with the same feelings. as i've grown older, there have been moments when i've preferred how i look without hijab. sometimes i want people to see *me* before they see 'the hijabi.' i don't want my whole identity to be reduced to what i'm wearing. of course, i know the purpose of hijab isn't about beauty or fitting in, and i'm very proud that islam is part of my identity, but that doesn't take away the very human need to feel like you belong, especially in a society where you're constantly reminded you're different by almost everyone around you. i'm not saying i'm planning to take off my hijab, before anyone jumps to conclusions. alhamdulilah, i still wear it, and i ask Allah to keep me steadfast. i just wanted to point out some of the struggles that many muslim women face, especially those of us in western countries. people need to be more aware and considerate of why many muslim women might choose to remove their hijab. again, i have to say that i don't agree with those who try to twist the rules of our religion to fit their desires, because hijab IS fardh. however, we all sin, we're all imperfect and fallible. so why is it such a taboo when a muslim woman may technically sin by taking off her hijab due to real fears or struggles, but others aren't publicly shamed for their sins? we all have our own sins, and no one is 'better' than anyone else, man or woman. wearing or not wearing hijab doesn't take us out of the fold of Islam, right? we wear it because Allah SWT commanded us to, not because of men, but for some reason some men act as if taking it off is a personal attack. and then think about what non-muslims see from the outside: angry men yelling and belittling women for removing their hijab. think about how that reflects on us. Islam is a religion of peace, but clearly some people are not. this ignorant reaction only pushes people away from the faith. the arrogance in our community needs to stop, especially with the rise of the so-called 'dawah bros' who just drive people away from our beautiful religion. please, learn to be compassionate when having these conversations if you're a man, because you'll never know firsthand what it's like to wear hijab. and if you feel offended or attacked by this post, maybe you're part of the problem. may Allah SWT guide you, truly. anyway, that's all from me today, and i pray that Allah SWT guides and gives strength to the whole ummah. we truly need it </3