World Hijab Day founder on facing bias in tristate area

On Feb. 1, thousands of people in more than 150 countries will don a hijab for the day in solidarity with women who wear headscarves. World Hijab Day, founded by Middlesex County resident Nazma Khan, aims to raise awareness of religious freedom and counter some of what Khan experienced growing up in the Bronx.

During high school, Khan recalls being shoved, spat on, and targeted by students and teachers alike all because she wore hijab. Today, the same school where she was bullied celebrates the holiday she launched.

“Last year, I was invited to give a speech at a high school in the Bronx and when I arrived, it turned out to be my old high school. I had no idea because the school’s name had been changed,” Khan said. “I was shocked, but my inner child was very content that I was able to [create] a fraction of change in this chaotic world.”

Khan, who founded World Hijab Day to foster harmony between Muslims and non-Muslims in the aftermath of 9/11, has continued her advocacy work through the World Hijab Day Foundation since moving to New Jersey nine years ago. Although states such as New York, Michigan, and Oklahoma have embraced the initiative, only the city of Newark recognizes it in her home state of New Jersey.

In addition to an annual virtual event on the day itself, the foundation organizes panels and webinars where Muslim women can connect and share their experiences dealing with Islamophobia.

Despite the efforts, Khan said she still experiences discrimination for wearing hijab today. She described multiple incidents of hostility toward her and her two sons in New Jersey, including a mother in the park warning her child not to play with Khan’s son.

“I had tears,” Khan recalled.

Growing up hijabi in the Bronx

Khan was 11 when her family moved from Bangladesh in the mid-1990s with just $10.

“I was very homesick. I was a free bird and loved my home. I cried for the first six months. I just didn’t understand why I came here,” she said.

Khan’s classmates started bullying her for not knowing English and standing out as the only hijabi in her junior high school.

“Students made fun of me every single day. I remember this boy, Nick, who made fun of me because of the way I said ‘sorry.’ I’ll never forget his name,” she said.

Khan chose not to tell her immigrant parents about her struggles because she felt that they were trying their best to raise four kids on her father's street vendor income.

Little improved for Khan in high school.

“I remember students literally coming up to me, shoving me against the lockers and calling me names like Mother Teresa and Osama Bin Laden. There were times when 10 to 20 students surrounded me, spitting at me or trying to pull off my hijab,” she said.

Khan persisted, determined to continue her education and support her immigrant parents. Within a year of starting college, 9/11 happened.

“From my college window, I could see the Twin Towers falling,” she said.

The Islamophobia Khan faced worsened. People would move away from her on the subway. She was called a terrorist. She was even chased through the streets of New York City.

Khan said getting a job was also difficult because of her hijab. She wasn’t getting job interviews, despite her degree in biology, and said she suspected her “obviously Muslim” name played a role in companies being hesitant to hire her.

In 2010, Khan’s mother gave her $1,000 to help her with her struggles and give her the chance to start a venture of her own. With that money, Khan started a hijab business and created a Facebook page for it. As her page grew to 20,000 followers, Khan felt enlivened by the ability to connect with other Muslim women around the world.

One day, a 14-year-old hijabi from the United Kingdom reached out to Khan and shared an upsetting story about a classmate pulling her hijab off.

“Her story really hurt me. It was literally a flashback to my high school years. I thought, okay, I have to help this little girl,” she said.

Khan came up with the idea for World Hijab Day. In its first year, in 2013, women from 67 different countries responded to her call.

As the movement gained traction, Khan said her page reached a peak of 44 million followers. Today, the same Facebook page has more than 9 million followers. Her rise in popularity caught the attention of major news organizations, including the BBC, which produced multiple segments on her initiative.

“And then before I knew it, it was a global movement,” she said.

Tehsin Pala is the associate editor of Central Desi.

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