Hijabs have been in the news yet again this week after Michelle Obama refused to cover her head on a visit to Saudi Arabia with President Barack Obama.
But what is it actually like to wear a headscarf?
In the above video, four women find out.
All of the women are nervous before covering their heads. Some admit seeing hijabs as a sign of oppression while others air concerns that they will lose their identity the moment they cover their hair.
Edina Lekovic, director of policy and programming at The Muslim Public Affairs Council, explains the role of hijabs to the women: "The Quran, which is our holy book, revealed the idea that women should cover their hair and their outward beauty."
"It’s meant to be a symbol of modesty and a symbol of a woman putting her intellectual ability over her physical beauty and sexuality."
After a short lesson from Lekovic on how to put on a headscarf, the women leave the building and go about their day-to-day activities while covered.
In some places, the women feel like other members of the public are intensely staring at them. In others, their headscarfs go seemingly unnoticed.
"Wearing a hijab does all the talking for you, it makes a first impression," one of the four women says.
"I think if people have negative connotations about women who wear hijabs, then it’s hard to counter balance that."
But the most important message to come out of the video has to be this: "As a woman, you should be able to wear whatever you want.
"And if a hijab is what you want to wear, then that’s what you should wear.”
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Iranian Women Enjoy 'Stealthy' Freedoms By Removing Their Hijabs In Facebook Group (PICTURES)
