Why do you wear the hijab?
Muslims and non-Muslims alike have asked me the same question countless times.  While it is true that Islam, in addition to the spiritual enlightenment, has preferred women to wear the hijab for their safety and modesty, there are additional important reasons worth mentioning.
I wear the garment for a further cause. I wear it because of you.  You read that correctly, sister – whether you are Muslim or a non-Muslim, I believe in the right of every woman that has ever lived or will ever live.  I believe that women are not reduced to the carrot-top [...]

When I first started wearing hijab full-time, I didn’t think it was a big deal. I constantly wondered why we had to wear hijab in the first place – after all, I would think to myself, it’s just hair. Wouldn’t it have been more prudent (astughfirullah) to command women to cover their faces, instead?
I was wrong, though. Of course I was. And I still clearly remember the event that changed my mind.
A private Islamic school in my community was holding a “Sisters’ Night” – an all-girls night where we would be permitted to don flashy dresses and let our hair [...]