‘The Hijabis of Houston’ brings area women’s faith to life
A tap on the shoulder never comes as a surprise to Zohra Siddiqui. In fact, it’s a common occurrence, whenever she is running errands around town.
In the documentary, “The Hijabis of Houston,” she recounts, “I always get people coming up to me, and they always say, ‘Can I ask you a question?’ Most of the time, I already know that it’s related to the hijab.”
Siddiqui sees this as her chance to share more about her faith — and to explain why she wears the headscarf.
“I love those opportunities,” she says in the film. “I encourage the person, ‘Yes please ask me.’ ”
Giving women a platform to share their individual stories is what inspired Spring resident Samia Nazir to make the documentary.
Just as there are a number of head covering styles, Muslim women have their own reasons for wearing them. And Nazir wanted to provide a space where hijabis — women who wear hijabs — could discuss their personal histories.
During her time working as an interfaith advocate, Nazir noticed that conversations at events often veered to the hijab.
“People started asking me a lot of questions,” she said. “They are naturally very curious.”
Nazir enjoyed sharing her knowledge of Islam, but since she does not wear a hijab herself, she would explain that she did not have experiential knowledge on the subject. She envisioned a documentary that would allow hijabis to speak for themselves. Since she could not find a movie already in existence, she set out to create it herself.
But as an artist who normally paints, working in film was a whole new experience.
She began by researching. “I watched a lot of documentaries,” Nazir said. “Then, I broke them down. Where’s the music? When’s the narration?”
“My hijab is a billboard for Islam. It’s a billboard of a strong Muslim woman.”
Zohra Siddiqui
“I just wanted to feel like the women were sitting across from you and telling their own stories. I wanted there to be that personal connection.” Samia Nazir
When she started editing, the format came intuitively.
“I just wanted to feel like the women were sitting across from you and telling their own stories,” Nazir said. “I wanted there to be that personal connection.”
While conducting interviews, she kept the audience in mind — focusing on what viewers might want to know about hijabs.
Nazir found the stars of the show by talking to friends and asking who might be interested in the project. She wanted to represent a diverse group, from different backgrounds, following different career paths.
“I cast a net,” she said. “It took me a long time to find the girls. And I did not know what their stories would be.”
Then, Nazir hired videographer Kalith Tailson of Reflection Media to film the
interviews. Together, they completed the sessions right before the pandemic began.
Nazir spent much of her time during lockdown editing the footage.
“I edited it a hundred times, because I was new to it,” she said.
But, each time, the women’s accounts captured her attention. “I was completely intrigued,” Nazir said.
Two of the women were born into Islam, including Siddiqui, who is featured first in the film.
Siddiqui is an artist who specializes in henna and makeup, and a nurse. She started wearing a hijab at age 13.
Her mother had stopped wearing one, after immigrating to the U.S. from Pakistan. But after seeing a friend in the eighth grade sporting a head covering, Siddiqui was inspired to follow suit.
“I thought, if she could do it in America, maybe I should give it a try,” Siddiqui recalled.
Now, a hijab is part of her identity — and she was excited to share that history on film when Nazir approached her about the project.
“It was really easy for me to say yes,” Siddiqui said.
The movie allows her to provide insight into the hijab. “I want to answer that question instead of leaving it as a myth or a stereotype,” she said.
When someone asks her about the hijab, she explains that it’s about modesty and respect.
“I try to relate it to what they know or understand,” Siddiqui said. “I tell them, Mother Mary wore it. I’m practicing the exact same concept.”
For Siddiqui, wearing the covering is a conversation starter, one that opens doors to greater understanding.
“My hijab is a billboard for Islam,” she said. “It’s a billboard of a strong Muslim woman.”
Heather Elsayed, a resident of southwest Houston, is also featured in the film. She converted to Islam from Catholicism, a story she relates in the documentary.
Elsayed is a certified fitness and spiritual life coach — and currently enrolled in an Islamic studies program. She is also active in interfaith work and a member of the Houston chapter of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, which seeks to unite Muslim and Jewish women for peace.
When Nazir called her about the hijab project, Elsayed jumped at the opportunity.
“Samia shared her vision of showing the Muslim woman of today, humanizing us as hijabis,” Elsayed recalled. “I told her, ‘I’m all in.’ ”
Nazir sent her a few questions in advance, but the interview was more conversational, honest and open, Elsayed explained.
“What Samia is doing is beautiful and thoughtful, giving a voice to women,” Elsayed said. “It’s hard work, and I admire her. Letting us speak for ourselves is empowering.”
For her, wearing the hijab is about embracing her Muslim identity.
“It also roots me in my faith,” she said. “It’s a reminder that this life is so much bigger than me — and that my purpose is bigger as well.”
Nazir found Elsayed’s story particularly moving.
“It tugs at your heart,” Nazir said. “Heather’s story of feeling lost — I experienced that, too — wondering how to have a more meaningful life.”
Both women found purpose through practicing Islam.
Nazir was eager to distribute the documentary to an audience, but with COVID lingering, she had to wait until an opportune time. When restrictions eased, she was able to debut the film last November at Star Cinema Grill Vintage Park.
Instead of considering her initial screening to be a finale, however, Nazir was only inspired to do more.
There are four hijabis featured in the film.
“I thought, ‘This is really a small sample; I need to continue,’ ” Nazir said. “Now it’s a series.”
Her new goal is to interview 101 women and share their words on YouTube. She selected the number because it recalls any introductory class in a subject.
“I then decided that would also be a good number or goal on the number of subjects to cover,” Nazir said.
The title of the series will be “The Hijabi Project 101.”
“Everyone has a great story — and it’s all very different,” Nazir said. “I’m interested in the next story — and the one after that.”
Her mission isn’t to advocate that women do or do not wear hijabs; her goal is to open dialogue and provide insight.
“I’m trying to get the human experience of wearing a
hijab,” she said. “This was a way for me to get information and put it out there.”
Along the way, Nazir hopes to put certain myths to rest — like the idea that women in the U.S. might be forced to wear a hijab, instead of it being a matter of choice.
Ultimately, Nazir said, no one should be judged by what they wear.
“I’m told over and over about a clash of cultures,” she said. “There isn’t. There’s just a lack of understanding.”
And Nazir is confident that can change by people coming together, getting to know each other and sharing their commonality.
“Once you tell people about yourself, people are receptive and empathetic,” she said. “I do believe people are willing to listen. If they weren’t, I wouldn’t have bothered making this project.”
“It’s a reminder that this life is so much bigger than me — and that my purpose is bigger as well.” Heather Elsayed