SENATOR Robin Padilla has proposed that the first day of February be declared as National Hijab Day.
Padilla’s Senate Bill 1272 has since been consolidated under Senate Bill No. 1410, which was submitted by the committees on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs and Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality for plenary approval.
What is a hijab?
A hijab is the head covering worn in public by certain Muslim women when they reach the age of puberty. Sometimes, it is one of the Muslim rules for women to show modesty.
The debate
You might ask what is the big deal? And why is the good senator devoting time and resources to make people understand the importance of such a proposal?
Senator Padilla, a Muslim convert, said dedicating one day for hijab is a way to “recognize the millions of Muslim women around the world.”
He believes a hijab would embody a life of modesty.
Having a hijab day once a year would “foster cultural understanding and inclusivity in our country,” Padilla said in the explanatory note of Senate Bill 1272.
This comes at a time when there is a small segment of young Muslim women who want to do away with the traditional garb. Case in point, GenZ muslim performer Murline Uddin’s refusal to wear one.
However, there are more Muslim women who are concerned about the misconceptions and want to provide a deeper context to the tradition.
“We hope to foster deeper respect and understanding among and between Filipinos of varying cultures and faiths toward national unity and peace,” said civil society leader Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman.
Cultural undertones
Padilla also cited misconceptions that the garment symbolizes the oppression of women due to “colonial mentality”.
“Stereotypical representations lead to misconceptions and one-dimensional view that Muslim women are powerless and oppressed,” Padilla said.
“Domestically, Filipino Muslim women are no strangers to these challenges,” the Senator added, emphasizing the impact of this world view on the women themselves.
For the hijab to become widely accepted, a law declaring a National Hijab Day could be passed. This way, the state can fully endorse its practice and establish acceptance of the wearing of the hijab to the mainstream while removing all stigma attached to its usage by Muslim women.
The House of Representatives in November approved on third and final reading House Bill No. 5693, which seeks to declare the first day of February of every year as national hijab day and to promote an understanding of the muslim tradition of wearing a hijab .
