Taking off the hijab…
Hijab is defined to be a “barrier” or “partition” in the Quran and is also something that seems to be one of the biggest taboos and trends these days. But is it a cultural or a religious concept?
Dina Torkia – commonly known as @Dinatokio is widely recognised as one of the first hijabi bloggers. She started blogging almost 12 years ago and has been growing her social media following since then.
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In September 2018, Dina released a book called “Modesty” and not too long after (October 2018) decided to remove the hijab which many people saw as a direct contradiction to her book. She received much backlash after taking off her hijab with critics claiming that she ‘used’ her hijab to grow her career. Dina responded to hate by calling the hijabi community a “toxic cult” and ended it by saying “I’m out”. Many other Muslim bloggers decided to speak out on the topic including the well-known celebrity Muslim influencer, ‘Adam Saleh’.
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Regardless of what any of our beliefs are the hate Dina received is absolutely unacceptable. One person wrote, “I hope you and your family all die painfully and slowly. Absolute disgrace”. Another wrote “you are a sick person, mentally” and another wrote “ fu***ng illuminati cult s*ut.’’
Dina explained in a podcast with her husband ‘Sid’ that it wasn’t an easy decision and just because she did wear it in the public eye does not mean people can demand that she carries on wearing it. She also went on to say that hijab is a choice and it is her choice to make when she wants to wear it.
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Since then Dina has moved on and even though she removed her headscarf, she still generally dresses modestly and vlogs on YouTube.
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Could the hate Dina received purely be because she was in the public eye or would a person who did not share their lifestyle on social media get the same response? Although some would argue Dina represented the hijabi community this was never her main claim to fame as she covers many topics and issues via her social media channels. Is the hate she received really a religious issue or are people feeling that they have a right over her choices and feel let down.
The key takeaway from this is that if someone removes their physical hijab this action should not be confronted with hate and disappointment. Each and every one of us is on our own journey and reactions like this only further push people away from their faith.
Have you ever taken your hijab off? What were your reasons? If you do wear a hijab what are your reasons to continue wearing it? We would love to know!
