I have been wearing hijab now for more than half my life, about 16 years. In case you don’t know, “hijab” is an Arabic word, meaning barrier or protection. Muslim women are required to observe hijab in the form of modest dress such as covering our hair and wearing long sleeves and pants and loose fitting clothes.

In today’s world of acronyms and made up words, Muslim girls that wear hijab sometimes call themselves “hijabis.” My hijabi friends and I like to laugh about the craziest/annoying things we’ve been asked, just because we wear hijab. Here’s a list of our top ten.

10. What’s your *motions around head* called?

9. You must get soooo hot in that!!!

8. Are you bald under there?

7. So how long have you been in America? Your English is so good!

6. What happens if you take it off?

5. Did your dad force you to wear that?

4. So … what are you exactly, like a nun?

3. So like, are you in an arranged marriage?

2. Do you have to wear it in the shower?

And no. 1, my all time favorite: This is America. You have freedom here. You don’t have to wear that!

So just to clear up a few misconceptions, no, I am not in an arranged marriage, and my dad didn’t force me to wear it. Neither of my parents did actually, they left that decision to me. If I take it off, there’s going to be a horrible earthquake, so y’all should really be thanking me.

I do wear it in the shower; it helps lock in moisture. And my English is so good BECAUSE I WAS BORN HERE. Yes, America is the land of freedom. That’s why I’m wearing it. Really, it’s not that serious. It’s just a scarf … on my head.

Being a hijabi is awesome though— no one can tell when your headphones are in, and sometimes I store snacks in the folds. Seriously though, it’s just a way for Muslim women to distinguish themselves from other women through modest dress.

We don’t wear it because our dads told us to or because we don’t have rights as women. It’s actually quite the contrary. Hijab is empowering. Rather than succumbing to western ideals and western standards of beauty, we free ourselves by allowing our character to dictate how we are perceived. Do you know how liberating it is when you don’t have to worry about anyone sizing you up by judging the curve of your thighs or the size of your chest?

Hijabis are like any other girl on campus except we never have bad hair days. We generally don’t mind answering legitimate questions. I mean sure sometimes it gets hot, and we can only dream of wearing crop tops, but faith trumps fashion any day.

Hawa Henderson is a senior in microbiology. She can be reached at [email protected].