probes lives of Muslim women

“I will be the Muslim,” she deadpans, aware that her hijab and long dark skirt make her stand out

She’s okay with that.

It’s the assumptions made about her because of the thin piece of material covering her head that are an issue, and something she hopes a symposium Thursday at 6 p.m. at the University of Toronto will help remedy.

“The first thing people see is my hijab,” says Osman, a third-year public health student at U of T.

“I have people coming up to me asking if my father makes me wear the hijab, or my brother does. Or they assume I don’t speak English.”

Osman, who grew up in Toronto, says tonight’s event is meant to dispel assumptions and help non-Muslims understand why some women choose to wear the hijab.

It’s an expression of faith, she says, adding no one forces her to wear it. It’s a choice she makes every morning as she prepares to leave the house.

The fact that it is not part of the wider Toronto culture to wear the hijab only makes it a much more personal decision, she says. When every woman wears the hijab, as is the case in many Muslim countries, Osman says there is little debate about whether to go along.

But in Western society, the hijab is not the norm, so wearing one has less to do with conformity and more to do with expressing one’s faith.

Tonight’s event is part of Islam Awareness Month at the university, organized by the Muslim Students’ Association. The symposium – Women Living Islam: a Glimpse into the Lives of Muslim Women – runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Leslie Dan Pharmacy building at 144 College St.

It will feature talks by three women with unique perspectives on wearing traditional Muslim attire in Canada.

Calla Evans will talk about a documentary she made by following the lives of five Muslim women.

Sandra Noe, a recent convert to Islam, will discuss how friends and co-workers reacted to the change.

And Heba al-Shareet will describe what it was like to grow up as part of Winnipeg’s small Muslim community.

In a feature dubbed Rent-a- Muslim, non-Muslims can be paired with a Muslim student who can answer their questions.

There will be a public question and answer period, Osman says, but Rent-a-Muslim recognizes that people might be shy about asking questions, for fear of appearing ignorant or rude. In that case, they can ask their questions in private, without fear of others hearing.

“The idea is that they will learn something, and take it back to their friends and family,” says Osman. “With knowledge comes understanding.”

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