Have you ever wondered why Somali and Muslim women wear hijabs, long dresses and head veils?
It is rare to spot a Somali or Muslim woman without a hijab.
There are cases where these women are sometimes unfairly and wrongly mistreated and scorned for wearing hijabs but it is not their fault.
Every religion, tribe or clan has its own culture which ought to be respected by the other members of the society.
Here why Somali and Muslim women wear hijabs and the punishment those who refuse to wear hijabs get.
According to Zeituna Abdalla Hussein an Islamic teacher based in Nairobi, Somali and Muslim women wear hijabs, headscarves and long dresses as a sign of respect to women's dignity and Allah.
Zeituna says that Allah in the Quran instructs them to wear hijabs at all times especially when they reach puberty.
“Wearing a hijab or veil is a sign of Islamic faith and respect to Allah’s commandments,” Zeituna says.
She adds that they wear hijabs as a sign of modesty in respect to Allah.
The Islamic teacher argues that their religion does not allow women to expose parts of their bodies especially the neck and the head to the world.
“We believe that Somali and Muslim women who defy Allah’s commandment will not go to paradise when they die,” she adds.
She also says that Allah punishes women who expose their bodies to the world by sending calamities to their families.
Adan Noor another Islamic teacher observes that Muslim women wear hijabs as a sign of purity and righteousness.
He says that even Prophet Mohammed wife wore hijabs and they do so in her respect.
“It is part of the region which we take seriously and whoever disobeys encounters serious punishment,” he adds.
There are, however, concerns to why only Muslim women are subject to hijabs and not men.
The next time you spot a Somali or Muslim woman in a hijab don’t ridicule her but understand that is part of their religion and societal culture which other tribes and communities also practice.
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