“As a white woman in Canada, if I want to talk about another culture, I have to learn about the other culture,” said third-year sociology student Michelle MacDonald as she put on a hijab as part of the Hijab Day Challenge organized by the University of Saskatchewan Muslim Students’ Association.
MacDonald told CBC news she wore her hijab for the rest of the day, even outside of school while she ran her errands. She said it was a strange experience because people stared at her.
One of the organizers of the event, Amna Khizer, explained the motivation of the challenge: “There are women out there who have people come up to them and they might say something to them offensive, like ‘go back to your country’ or ‘you’re oppressed’ or ‘you’re forced to wear this..Those misunderstandings, they develop just as a result of people not knowing.”
The hijab challenge was part of a Canada-wide Islam Awareness Week.
More information:
CBC News – Non-Muslim University of Saskatchewan students wear hijabs – here
CJME News – U of S students take Hijab Challenge – here
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