This is the story of Noor and Ayah Barahim, two Muslim sisters who embrace the hijab in Canada. They find strength and empowerment in their faith while navigating the challenges of living as Muslim women in Calgary.
Two hijab-wearing sisters living in Calgary, Canada, share their experiences of facing challenges and discrimination while remaining steadfast in their religious beliefs and feeling empowered by wearing the hijab.
As reported by Jahanbanou, quoting the Calgary Journal, two sisters named Noor and Ayah Barahim, who have been wearing the hijab for 11 years, shared their experiences.
They describe wearing the hijab as both empowering and challenging.
Ayah says, “It’s our choice to wear a headscarf. I feel a lot of people just look at you like, ‘Oh, you’d look so nice without it.’” To which Ayah adds, “Like that’s the point..'”
The sisters say they have faced discrimination and inequality multiple times in social interactions as Muslim women.
Noor, the elder sister, says they have been directly confronted with misconceptions or discriminatory behavior.
She added, “If someone looks at you in a weird way or says something, I say confront it right there, if you’re safe. Speak the truth about what it is. But if someone’s just being hateful, be like, ‘Okay, thank you, that’s what you think.'”
Ayah felt different from other kids when she first started wearing a headscarf. She says, “When you’re a kid and you start wearing a headscarf, you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m not like the other kids,’ and sometimes you feel a little bit alienated. But I think wearing the headscarf made me have a stronger personality. I don’t feel the need to be like everybody else. I stick to my beliefs and what I believe is right.”
Despite occasional challenges, the sisters feel that the hijab has helped them grow. The sisters have been practicing karate together since childhood. They both have black belts, and Ayesha is a karate instructor in northeast Calgary. For Noor and Ayah, wearing the hijab is a reminder of their faith and daily values.