Mindanao solon renews push for ‘National Hijab Day’
A Mindanao lawmaker has vowed to work for the passage of a proposed law seeking the declaration of February 1 of every year as “National Hijab Day.”
“Wearing the Hijab is something personal,” Anak Mindanao (AMIN) Party-List Rep. Amihilda Sangcopan said, referring to House Bill (HB) No.968 which was filed by her predecessor and fellow nominee, former Rep. Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman near the start of the 17th Congress.
“It is a way of self-discipline, you compose yourself, you tell yourself to be good, to be kind, to be the best person you can, because that is what your Hijab represents contrary to what the majority of the people thinks,” Sangcopan said.
She added that wearing the Hijab “comes with integrity.”
HB No.968 defines “Hijab” as “a veil that covers the head and chest, which is particularly worn by a Muslim female beyond the age of puberty in the presence of adult males outside of their immediate family.”
Sangcopan noted that the legislation will be a step toward making all sectors in the country, particularly the employment and education sectors to promote respect for diversity and religious beliefs.
“Thus, AMIN calls upon all the stakeholders, the media for responsible journalism, to the educational institutions and parents to continue educating the young minds of cultural sensitivities and enact policies and program that reflect the same,” she said.
The proposal jibes with the date of World Hijab Day (WHD), which was first observed on February 1, 2013.
Since then, WHD has become an annual event encouraging Muslim and non-Muslim women to wear the Hijab and experience the life of a Hijabis Woman for a day.
“There are those who think that these women are being forced, oppressed, and worst, they are being labeled as ‘terrorists,’” said Hataman.
“It is our aim to raise awareness and to put a stop to all sorts of discrimination, including discrimination against Muslim women. We hope to foster deeper respect and understanding among and between Filipinos of varying cultures and faith toward national unity and peace,” she added.