I wear a niqab, or face veil. I do this of my own volition. I have worn it since my oldest daughter was six months old.

Why do I wear it? Well, for a variety of reasons. First of all, I wear it for extra modesty. Extra modesty, you say? Yes. Believe it or not, I have had guys try to ask me out! Dressed as I was, I have been admired from afar (and up close, I guess). I thought that was insane, but whatever.

Second, when I wore hijab only, people really seemed to go after me for some reason. I’ve been told by my fellow Americans (at the check-out in the grocery store) that they are going to bomb all of us and our ALLAH. A young punk spat on my back when I was eight months pregnant in the subway here in Toronto, (to him I say see you on the Day of Judgement – rights will be given to those to whom they are due (and wrongs will be redressed)…”[7]Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2582

I’ve been told to go back to my country (er, America?),that I was a disgrace, and once while walking past a group of young girls in 2005 one smugly leaned over and yelled “bomb Iraq!” Blah, blah, blah. And this is the supposed land of multiculturalism. That only applies to food and shopping,I think.

I’ve received a lot of hostility over the past few years – especially when I am out alone with my children. I find the niqab to be a comfort as it makes most people stay away. So, it is a protection for me. However, there those few self-righteous people who take it upon themselves to “remind me” that “This is Canada, not Afghanistan, you don’t have to wear that here”, or “Are you going to force your daughter to wear that? But you’re so beautiful…” as if they can tell.

Can you believe that?

My daughter will be free to choose the niqab on her own, just as I did. Islam is about knowledge. There is no compulsion in religion. Why is it that because I am a Muslim, people think that I am forcing the religion on my children?

My mother is a Baptist. You don’t think she made us go to church on Sunday? We started going to church regularly when I was about eleven and by then, I wanted nothing to do with it. I was always cognizant of God but had my doubts about church.

In Islam, we pray five times a day no exception.

We do this when the time for prayer arrives, regardless of location, i.e. at home, the mosque, the mall…. I expect my children to begin praying regularly when they are of age, no exception. This should be a natural progression since they were born Muslim and it is what they know.

It should be an easy transition, a rite of passage, not something forced upon them. My daughters will wear hijab, InshaALLAH. Not because Ummi and Abi said so, but because ALLAH said so. This does not mean that my son is off the hook. He too will dress in accordance to the Sunnah. He too will observe the modesty requirements of a Muslim male.

I wear the niqab because it was the right choice for me. Choice. That means I am exercising my freedom, no? Why is it that people believe that their version of freedom is the right one?

We live in a Western society but this does not make us any less Muslim. It also does not cancel our rights to live as Muslims. Nor does it give those who are different from us free reign to assault with words (or saliva).

Therefore, we have to keep our heads up, speak up when necessary and not take the abuses that we are told we deserve. We must hold on to our identity.

For example, we have two flags of the Khilafah hanging in our classroom.

Traditionally, early Arab flags were of one colour only, usually black or white, and charged with a religious inscription. It is thought that Muhammad himself used such flags, and it is said that his followers fought under a white flag.

You can see the white and green one there but it is now in a different spot. The point is that I want my children to see the Shahadah everywhere. I want it to be a fixture in their hearts and minds. When I was young, we stood to recite the pledge of allegiance. My children recite the Qur’an and proudly say they are Muslims and that they love ALLAH.

We have also purchased some (very inexpensive) Ottoman coins so that they can see a piece of Muslim history up close and personal.

Note that this coin is free from the ego of the Sultan, unlike the many who have cast their faces upon coins and bills.