Four short stories, one hijab

The culture of dressing and the way it conveys the message is as old as the humans themselves, and we often hear that the cowl does not make the monk, emphasizing that clothing should not be the basis for judging others. Nevertheless, throughout history, clothes, and thus head coverings, indicated both origin, class, and position, as well as a religious identity. Today, in various parts of the world, Muslim women are still fighting for the right to make their own choice – to wear or not to wear the headscarf, demanding that certain ideologies, both secular and religious, do not ask for control over their bodies, limiting them to one or the other. Of the less than fifty-one thousand Islamic members living in Croatia, belonging to ethnically and linguistically different groups, there is a small number of Muslim women who wear headscarves. My conversation with some of them, opened a debate about their understanding of religion, gender, and ethnicity, experiences of wearing a headscarf in a working environment (more precisely, hijab as a philosophy of the way Muslims dress and behave), but also challenges in the community and society. They state that, based on their positions, reflections, and experiences, the importance of dialogue and mutual understanding, which are often left out of the public discourse, is reflected in the very essence of Islam as one of its primary principles.

Lejla Ferhatović Hamzić, Zagreb

After the Croatian Institute for Brain Research, the Ruđer Bošković Institute, departments and institutes at the School of Medicine in Zagreb and Split, respectively, this time I found Lejla Ferhatović Hamzić at the Institute for Anthropological Research, where she works as an expert consultant on the project “Individualized approach in predicting the development of diabetes”. The topic I deal with is the human organism, its health and diseases, how the organism is built, and what causes its various states. It is so complex, so enormous, and fascinating to discover what the Creator has given us. For me, Islam and science are intertwined and connected, and that’s what moves me the most.

She says that her curiosity for learning new things has been her most characteristic trait, ever since she was a child. Parallel with her work at the Institute, she attends a programming course, in order to combine her knowledge of science with digital technologies. Despite her highly positive experiences in the working environment or in lowering the barriers that are more easily dealt with through personal contact, she is aware that the social climate is not entirely affirmative and that there are challenges faced by women wearing hijab, even when applying for a job. I placed a picture with a headscarf in my resume because I don’t want to put myself or other people in an awkward position. Let’s put our cards on the table, we are all aware of the situation. We all enjoy the freedom to practice our faith, but doors are still closed for many women in the business world.

Likewise, Ferhatović Hamzić believes that the policy of “closed doors”  is also reflected in the fact that many women are preoccupied. While trying to fulfill all their modern family roles, they neglect their professional engagement, and that very often the burden of most household chores remains the task of women, as in previous generations. The ideas of feminism are positive, but at some point, feminism became a movement that did not bring us, women, as much as we thought it would. We fought for our place in the business world – great. We fought for civil rights – we should have those, but at least in Croatia, I don’t see that this has affected family life. When I see my colleagues, who may or may not be religious, who have families and work eight hours a day, they come home and a lot of household duties await them, then I wonder what good this feminism has brought us. It has burdened us even more.

She sees the time spent at work as time devoted to herself, but she is aware that this is not the case for every woman, someone who has two or three times more obligations. When I was younger, I had this strong belief that we women would conquer the world. I even thought at one time that I would never get married and that I won’t have children, not because I do not want them, but because I thought if I want to fully dedicate myself to my profession, and I love my job, I won’t have enough energy I presumed even a single child required. Life has changed me, I myself decided to become a mother, both the first and second time, and motherhood softened me the most, and it made me see life from a different perspective – of a housewife, mother, and caregiver. In the end, maybe I am not a good example because I don’t carry this burden myself. I have a very supportive partner and we live in a nice neighborhood where all the amenities are available for our children, so I’m not in a position to complain.

Women’s history is invisible, she continues, because through her education she did not have the opportunity to learn about women’s contribution to culture and history, and women were thus mostly suppressed, both as a theme of research and as researchers. We learned about Sappho, the poetess from the island of Lesbos through a handful of her verses, Queen Helen of Zadar, Ivana Brlić Mažuranić… The rest of the space in school textbooks was left to men. She adds that even today the situation is similar when men are the main figures of all the institutions she worked at, even though they mostly employ women. Although in Europe more women than men have a university degree, women are still underrepresented in better-paid professions, and there are still too few of them in leading positions. The degradation of women’s work as well as discriminatory social norms about their skills are some of the factors that contribute to this. We often hear reports on female politicians in which their work comes down to what they are wearing. How much has feminism achieved here? asks Ferhatović Hamzić. In search for knowledge, she considers education an important condition for achieving emancipation, so although she accepts feminism with certain reservations, in Islam she associates it with dignity and the fact that taqwa, fear of God, and moral awareness, are the only criteria for distinguishing people. She also believes that it is important that the space for practicing religion is accessible to everyone, so she welcomes the practice introduced a few years ago in Bosnia and Herzegovina when a decision was made in the Mufti unit of Zenica that Jumu’ah (prayer on Fridays) will be organized for women in all its congregations. Regardless of the regulation, I think it is a weak argument to tell women that there is no place for us on Fridays in the mosque. There are different traditions regarding the presence of women at the Eid prayer, because women often spend the entire Ramadan in the mosque, only to be replaced by men at the end – at the Eid prayer, and they welcome men home with cakes. She continues: In the Arab world, women participate in the Eid prayer, in some countries they go to Jumma prayer. It is necessary to re-evaluate how much this situation benefits us and how much it is part of our tradition.

Katarina Mešić, Zagreb

In the very center of the city, in a bar overlooking Tesla street, the ‘ard natural cosmetics’ studio is located, specialized in producing and selling natural cosmetics. Its owner and founder of the brand, Katarina Mešić, an aromatherapist by profession, started her business in 2021, after designing the formula for her products, the brand name, and the overall visual identity.

In Zagreb, you won’t see a woman wearing a headscarf often, much less a businesswoman who works every day in the very center of the city, in a shop with glass windows. Most Muslim women are afraid to wear headscarves very often because of prejudices and Islamophobia present in the media. Mostly those who work at functions in the Islamic community wear a headscarf. I am not one of them, but I still share the wonderful experience of an ordinary covered woman in Zagreb.

Although Mešić was exposed to verbal attacks by other women, with outcries that she should return to Saudi Arabia, that she wears the headscarf for fashion reasons, because of her husband, or that she was paid to wear it, her experiences are nevertheless positive. Mostly stereotypical representation of Muslim women in the media and public discourse did not sway her earlier when she decided to convert to Islam and then wear the hijab. After converting to Islam, I did not wear a headscarf for a while, so I can speak from the perspective as both an uncovered and covered woman. When I was uncovered, I wasn’t labeled, as neither were men. With the headscarf, people see that I am a Muslim first, and only then that I am Katarina.

Mešić points out that the hijab, as a visible symbol of her belief, which she sees as an important part of her Muslim female identity, should not be a reason for rejecting her as an equal participant in a multicultural society. Although Croatia does not have a desirable position when it comes to economic inclusion and opportunities, in the last ten years data show a slight increase in the share of women who are company owners or founders. It is considered that women represent the most unused leadership and entrepreneurial potential in Europe, and the differences in entrepreneurial activity between women and men stem from the cultural context and the role of women in the family. Mešić believes that better networking of women who could offer their products in the community is necessary both for informing the said community about local products and for the much-needed support in the first entrepreneurial steps. Her customers are individual men and women belonging to different religious and ethnic groups, as well as foreigners to whom, as Mešić says, headscarf instills confidence and are happy to stop by to see new products or just chat. Mešić also sees the necessity of women’s contribution to the community through the community’s active projects and the mosque itself as an important place for discussing those topics that Muslims cannot hear about anywhere else. Here, she particularly emphasizes men’s gatherings, such as the obligatory prayer on Fridays, where important and necessary messages related to egalitarian values can be conveyed. Generational upbringing is reflected through women, so a lot of reading and dealing with various topics is necessary, as well as education, especially for male family members. The religious community also has its responsibility because the religious regulations that are often discussed should be tailored to individual situations and needs, to show that all solutions are available within Islam.

In addition to direct contact with religious officials and through organized lectures, answers to questions are also sought in specialized Islamic literature. Mešić, who spends a lot of time reading, states that in the absence of translated world literature, which deals with the challenges of contemporary society, the available material rarely offers interpretations of pluralism and diversity of content. It is not easily accessible, or it is dominated by male authors who devote little space to the contribution and work of women in the public sphere.

I believe that God created man a step above woman for a reason, because he was created to protect woman, and he will be held responsible for that trust. For this reason, I do not identify with feminist ideas, but at the same time, I am aware that it is important that men do not abuse their role and do not subordinate women, as it is often the case even among highly educated people. It is a cultural problem, not an Islamic one if a woman is required to do housework exclusively. This was not the practice of the Prophet Muhammad, and because of it, it is necessary to call on men to participate equally in household tasks and raising children, but this request must come from those in positions of power, who are again mostly men.

Ultimately, Mešić sees Islam as a comprehensive life order that in itself implies women’s rights guaranteed by the Qur’an as long as its principles and messages are implemented in everyday life. Cultural and patriarchal norms should be reexamined so that they do not, under the pretext of religion, limit women’s aspirations to be successful both in family life and in the professional field, Mešić points out.

Lejla Salihi, Sisak

The consequences of the earthquake in Sisak and Petrinja are still visible, even after less than two years have passed. But life goes on, says Lejla Salihi, a young entrepreneur from Sisak who sells women’s and men’s clothing. I don’t sell clothes only for covered women, she continues with a smile, because Salihi, who decided to wear the hijab a few years ago, is often thought to sell only the clothes she wears herself. In addition to running the store Miami Star Fashion, of which she is the owner and director, Salihi is a student of the Islamic Academy, actively engages in fitness, and loves to cook, so she likes to share recipes on social networks. Growing up in a large family, as the youngest of five siblings, did not prevent her parents from teaching her work ethic from an early age, and then including her in the family business.

Although my brothers married young, my father never forced my sister or me to get married. But what is important for our family is work and the ability to earn. So my sister and I started earning our money quite early on, which I believe is necessary for the economic independence of every woman.

From an early age, Salihi felt that she would wear a headscarf in the future, although she was not sure at what point in time exactly because she was aware that she had to make such a decision herself. After the decision was made, the initial support of the family went missing, because, as she states, her parents were against it – out of fear that something would happen to her, that she would not be able to get married, or that she would not have the opportunities that girls who do not wear hijab have. Although it is perhaps more common among us Roma that a father takes the lead, my family does as my mother says, and she was much more against it than my father. Nevertheless, Salihi has been wearing a headscarf for eight years and adds that it is the best decision she has ever made. She became more self-confident and more open to traveling and meeting new people, and a few years ago she traveled with her brother to Mecca for the Hajj (pilgrimage).

It seems to me that sometimes my way of life confuses people. My customers often ask me if I’m like a nun now, says Salihi. On the Hajj, they were surprised that such a young girl had come, so they asked me if I was hodja’s daughter, and my mother, on the other hand, sometimes criticizes me saying that I am not hodja’s wife, so I do not need to study so much and cover myself.

In time, her family gave their support, but Salihi is deeply aware that she had to stand up for herself, both with her family and in other important life decisions. After returning from abroad, where she goes for wholesale, she shares her experiences with other girls and women, that they too can be equally successful and that they do not necessarily need a husband to develop their entrepreneurial idea. I am not the type who believes that I should suffer because I am a Muslim, but that I should look for a solution to some problematic situations instead. The Qur’an and the Sunnah (author’s note: the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad) are the sources from which we can draw answers to all our needs, only their proper understanding is necessary, as well as the ulama (author’s note: experts of religious sciences and Islamic law) who observe life situations and challenges broadly, placing them in context, adds Salihi.

Although her decision to wear the hijab is purely religious, for her the hijab also represents an act of female empowerment. For this reason, connection with other women and girls of different religions is extremely important for Salihi. An open dialogue with both men and women, as equal members of society, is the way to a healthy and satisfied community, she states.

Sadžika Jukan

In Pula, the construction of an Islamic cultural center is planned, close to the very center of the city and the Arena. The concept announces the Center as a multifunctional space used not only by Muslim men and women but also by the wider community for meeting and dialogue. Less than twenty years ago, Pula became the home of Sažida Jukan, a religious teacher and member of the Meşihat of the Croatian Islamic Community (translator’s note: a term that denotes the elders of the provincial Islamic community), who devoted her activities to the education of children and then to women in the community.

After moving to Pula with her husband, the chief imam of the Pula Majlis, her professional tasks began. Although Jukan has witnessed the openness of society, because, as she states, she moves everywhere freely like everyone else and has never been discriminated against because of wearing hijab, she was involved in an unpleasant situation in 2010. Then the Istrian Police Department did not want to issue her a driver’s license with her photographed wearing a headscarf. Although at that time the Ordinance on Issuing a Driver’s License stipulated that submitted photographs must be without head coverings unless being a part of a national costume, removing the hijab was not an option for Jukan. To acquire the document, Jukan took a picture wearing a wig, and then, together with Merjem Bajrami and Hatiža Kekić, who had a similar experience, started the process of revising the Rulebook. Before applying for a driver’s license, I already had an identity card in which I wore a headscarf, so all that was needed was a revision of that paragraph of the Ordinance.

Although Jukan does not see this kind of act that led to change as her standing up for her own (female) rights, because she believes that all her rights have already been given within the framework of Islam, but as a human error that needed to be corrected, she is aware that such steps affect the entire (Muslim) community, especially its female members, who will face the same or similar situations in the future. We, religious teachers, certainly have a greater responsibility because the women in the community look up to us. In my many years of practice, I can see that I have directly or indirectly influenced the lives of the women around me.

Answers to everyday challenges are often sought precisely through religious teachers, who, as Jukan states, sometimes just listen to their pupils. They often have questions and ask for advice about exercising their rights to religious beliefs at their workplace, but also how to reconcile their daily obligations and roles. Meetings and discussions lead to various ideas for organizing charities within the Pula branch of the humanitarian organization Zirat, which operates as a part of the Islamic Community in Croatia, of which she is the president. One such was realized last year. In cooperation with other women in Pula, caps of various designs were sewn and distributed for oncology patients who experienced hair loss due to chemotherapy. In 2015, she was chosen as the muallima (religious teacher) of the year by the Meşihat of the Islamic community in Croatia, and Jukan herself cites working with children as a great inspiration and calling. In the same year, she received recognition from the Ministry of Science and Education at the Oscar of Knowledge Award ceremony for her contribution in preparing students for school competitions. If I had to make a decision anew regarding my education and subsequent employment, I would choose the same again. I like to work, and I am especially happy with people’s feedback, both at charities when we see that we have helped someone, as well as when I see happy children. Also, the generations to whom I was a religious teacher and who have their children now, are active in the community, and perform religious activities, and all of these puts the wind in my sails.

The common prejudice that women with hijab are limited in many activities, including social and leisure ones, is refuted by Jukan with her recently passing motorcycle driving test. I was able to drive a smaller motorcycle with the B category, but now I can also drive large motorcycles, which has been my wish for a long time. While I was taking driving lessons, I did not see many women applying for this category, and I may be the first woman wearing a hijab who has a license to drive a motorcycle in Croatia, she says proudly. Being a Muslim does not limit me, nor does my hijab bother me in any way, as many think. Everything is possible, concludes Jukan.

The publication of this text was supported by the Electronic Media Agency as part of the program to encourage journalistic excellence