- a woman's choice
This year I had a rather unpleasant encounter in a public car park. I backed my car into a four wheel drive. Luckily, the impact didn't feel strong enough to cause any damage, but the startled driver definitely needed an apology.
He wasn't in the mood though, shouting expletives he told me to get lost. And I happily obliged. His frustration was justified after all. But then I heard these words: "Maybe if you took that thing off your head you'd be able to see". I froze in my tracks.
I wear the hijab.
I noticed hot angry tears welling up in my eyes, the voice in my head told me to be the bigger person and walk away, but I didn't want to. So I went back to him and politely asked if he realised what he had just said was racist and quite hurtful. To his credit, he apologised.
In that moment I felt empowered by my hijab, it is a taonga. And it's my right to choose what I wear and not to be judged for it.
Link to article: Hijab head coverings - a woman's choice | RNZ News
