hijab is my choice. titik.

"Dear young lady, tell me, tell me why do you cover your head?" an old patient asked me on one morning. "Tell me, now, why do you wear your scarf?"

I was thinking to explain the rationale of wearing the headscarf, but since she's an older person, I thought she'd understand if I say, "Because I love my God."

I didn't expect her to look at me in disbelief and said, "No! No! No..." with teary eyes.

"I love my God. This is how I show my love to Him." I tried to make her understand that hijab is simply my choice; no one forced me since the beginning.

"NO," she held my hands tighter, and pulled me closer to her. "No, no. Let me see your skin (her eyes wondered around, but my attire only allowed my face and my hands to be seen). OH! You don't even show a bloody skin! Oh, I'm sorry, I'm very emotional when it comes to this matter."

('matter' apa? Women's rights la)

"You know, my friends and I had fought for the rights for a long time."

.........

That reminded me about the sisters in France and Turkey, who were fighting to protect their rights in wearing the hijab. They have been denied access in working and education sectors, just because they're trying to protect their dignity; Just because they didn't want insignificant others to see their 'aurat'.

..........

"Why is it the women who have to cover up themselves, but not men? Why don't your God ask the men to cover themselves up too?" the old lady was still unwilling to accept my reason. "Don't you want to feel the breeze in your hair? The warm sunshine?"

"Actually, men do have to cover themselves up. From their knees to their bellybutton," I just blurted those words out.

"Lucy (bukan nama sebenar), the young lady needs to go. She has other things to do," another patient interrupted. Oh yeah, I almost forgot that I still need to serve two more patiens in the next ward.

"Thank you for your concern. But I'm fine like this," and I left the room with a smile, just to make sure that Lucy will not be saddened by what I've said so far to her. But what's more important, I just want her to know, I'm not being oppressed by wearing the hijab.

Lucy was very concern about others and very determined too. She's a fighter, I should say, as she would try her best to fight for things she believes in. A passionate one. All those questions that she asked were the signs telling me how much she cares about me :)

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That was an incident a few weeks ago. This week, I encountered another old lady during my school visit, who gave me quite an interesting comments about hijab.

"I can feel that the muslims women who cevered themselves up received more respect than the non-muslims. Even in the bus, in the markets; People respect them. Other people don't look at the muslime women with bad intentions. Their dresses help them to be judged through their personality. The muslim women have good behavior, I should say. They use good words when they speak and they have manners towards other people..."

She was telling me all these, without knowing that I'm a muslim. She wasn't sure actually, until she asked me ,"What is your religion?"

And then, the conversation invited us two to compare the teachings in Islam and Christianity about the oneness of God, prophet Isa a.s., and Maryam, mother of Isa. I told her that there's a surah (chapter) in the Qur'an that is dedicated to Jesus's mother, Mary a.k.a Surah Maryam.

"I'm looking forward to buy the Qur'an with the english translation." she smiled. Oh! How I wish I could give her the Holy Qur'an at that very moment. Before we parted, she said, "Pray for me. Who knows, maybe someday I'll become a muslim." Ya Allah! My heart even skipped a beat upon hearing those words. I was silently praying "Allah, amin, amin, amin" (Allah, grant the wish, grant the wish, grant the wish!).

I hope to see the lady again, next week.

I hope to see Lucy again too, InsyaAllah.

(why hijab topic again? don't you get sick writing this up? huhuhu i just think this is worth to be shared with you; that's all)