DHIMMITUDE AT NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY

Non-Muslim women were wearing hijabs at Northumbria University in the UK, and the Sky Network's Tyne and Wear section can only offer a sugarcoated take on this:

Non-Muslim women wore hijab for a day as part of Discover Islam Week at Northumbria University.

They were asked to continue their daily routine as normal wearing the head covering before a group discussion about their experiences.

The event was aimed at challenging negative preconceptions about Islamic women and improving understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Some Muslim women choose to wear the hijab because they say it is ordered in the Koran, to protect women's modesty.

Samantha McGregor, who took part in the event, said: “I found that people were looking at me. I don’t know if they were thinking she looks silly or she’s not actually a Muslim.

“I felt like saying: ‘Stop looking at me! I’ve done nothing wrong.’

“I like the idea that you wear a hijab so only your husband can see your hair, I find that quite special.

“I think people have bad views of Islam and today it’s made me completely change and get rid of all those views.”

Another participant Jeanna Spencer added: “It’s been really interesting to think about why someone would choose to wear it and why hair would be something to be kept private and be modest about.”

Head sister of Northumbria University’s Islamic Society, Rokeya Begum, said: “It’s actually quite liberating because we’re not forced to dress the way that society or fashion says that we should.

“The event is to show that we’re not forced to wear it and we’re quite happy.

"We’re normal people, and others shouldn't judge us by the way we dress.”

Please, spare us the superficiality. They completely miss all the deeper issues involved deliberately. This article totally obscures the dominance of Muslim men over women they consider theirs to govern. That's one of the leading reasons why many Muslim women wear the hijab, if also because many are indoctrinated into believing it's positive in every way.