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Travel + Leisure
19 hours ago
- Health
- Travel + Leisure
I Am a Muslim Traveler—Here's What It's Like to See the World While Wearing a Hijab
For Travel + Leisure's column Traveling As, we're talking to travelers about what it's like to explore the world through their unique perspectives. We chatted with Nazma Begum, who documents her adventures traveling with her husband and toddler on YouTube as HanaExplores, about what it's like to see the world while wearing a hijab. Here's her story… For the last 10 years, I've been a hijabi, wearing what people call a scarf or hijab. I do it for religious reasons as I was born into Islamic faith as a Muslim. It has become part of my daily routine. Nobody forced me to do this—it's something I understood going in. Wearing a hijab is a big commitment, so you shouldn't look down on someone if they don't. Some of my family members do, some don't. I made the decision during the month of Ramadan, when we don't eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. It's a holy time that acts like a reset for Muslims around the world. That year, I thought, I cover up for prayers, so why can't I do it all the time? I'm quite comfortable wearing a hijab now. There are many different styles, even silk and other fancy materials. I enjoy styling it as well. Growing up, my parents didn't have the mentality of traveling much. I was born in Bangladesh, and my parents migrated to Singapore when I was about 6 years old. We'd take road trips to Malaysia and visit our hometown in Bangladesh. Whether it was cultural or them being protective, my family wasn't open to having a girl travel by herself or with her friends. But as soon as I graduated from university, I got married and my husband and I started traveling. Moraine Lake is known for its natural beauty. Our first big trip was to South Korea—we wanted to experience snow. Unfortunately, we didn't see any, but I fell in love with traveling. I also love outdoor activities, like hiking and camping. You're going to get sweaty when you're hiking in a hijab, but it's doable. Once you reach the top and the wind is blowing, it feels amazing. I have a 2-year-old daughter now and I took her on her first flight to Singapore from Vancouver, where my husband and I moved in 2019, when she was just 7 weeks old. We have one-year maternity leave here in Canada, so I used that to the fullest. She was surprisingly good on the flight and impressed me. I was breastfeeding and somehow just knew how to soothe her when she was crying. When she was about 4 months old, we went to Japan in the fall to see the colors. It was beautiful. We visited Kyoto, Osaka, and the Japanese Alps. My daughter is not going to remember a thing, but I'm going to remember all of this. Another of my favorite places is Hawaii. I try to go every year. I can't swim, but I love to hang out by the beach. I also like snorkeling, and in Hawaii, the fishes come right up to the beach, so you don't have to go deep. But I make sure I'm still covered while enjoying myself. I wear what's called a burkini—it's like leggings and a long suit made of swimsuit material, and it covers your hair. If I need to change and there's no washroom, I have this pop-up tent where I can go in and change. My family and I are used to these challenges. My husband and I try and pack in a lot when traveling. We go from sunrise to sunset, and we're adventurous. It's changed a bit with my daughter, but I enjoy traveling with her. Last year, we went to Oahu, and this year, we went to the Big Island, which is great for kids, especially toddlers. They love to play in the sand, then they get tired and it's nap time, so they sleep in the car. When they wake up, they're at another beach. We've had so many adventures. In the Italian Dolomites, my in-laws joined us and we rented a boat on a lake. The weather was so calm, but when we were in the middle of the lake, it changed and got so rocky—we had to be rescued. This was our second Island (Big Island), and Hawaii just hit differently. The warm weather, the food, the unique beaches, tropical fishes and corals. We loved chasing sunsets there. I think my daughter actually remembers these adventures. She says she remembers when Grandpa and Baba rowed the boat. She also remembers playing at the beach in the sand. I know a lot of parents don't want to travel after they have kids. Trust me, changing a diaper in a different location is better. You don't have to think about daily mundane tasks like laundry, changing sheets, and cooking. Plus, there's a better view. When we were in a small Italian town, it felt like everybody was looking at me. I don't think they were being rude; maybe they just hadn't seen a tourist with a hijab. I do attract a lot of attention. I know it's difficult for some people who get stares and comments like, 'Go back to where you came from.' Luckily, I haven't really been in any unpleasant situations. I've had some issues at the border going into the U.S. from Canada, which can be a little unpleasant. Maybe it's because of my Singaporean passport. It has been easier in places like Italy and Switzerland, where they have so many tourists from all over and see a lot of different people with different clothing. But in smaller places, like Jeju Island in South Korea, they stare because they're curious. There are pleasant experiences, too. One time, I was in Vietnam and because of the hijab, they immediately knew I was Muslim, and said, 'Salaam,' the Muslim greeting. Also, anytime I see any hijabis, we always smile at each other and give that silent greeting. From left: Having the chance to don the traditional clothes of Vietnam was a lot of fun and the accompanying sunset made it all the better; Finding halal certified food in Japan was quite challenging, especially in remote parts like the northern alps region, but when we did find some, we enjoyed the local cuisine and really loved Japanese food. The other challenge of travel is that it can be difficult to find halal food. Pork is not halal, and chicken, lamb, or beef need to be slaughtered in the Islamic manner. We also don't consume any alcohol, so we have to check the ingredients. For instance, in Japan, sometimes the sushi rice has sake in it. We use an app to see if food is halal. We always try to do our research beforehand, but it can be difficult with itineraries. For example, you might be traveling south, but the halal place is in the north. You don't want to miss out on places just because you need to eat. That said, there are more places recognizing the fact that we, Muslim people, need to eat halal food. I can also always choose vegetarian pasta or tofu bowls. There's always a way. Traveling doesn't need to stop. The idea of seeing so many different places makes me want to travel as much as I can. I want to show my daughter that traveling is easy and flexible, if you work your way around the challenges. She's already adapted so much in two years. I go camping, boating, and snorkeling with her. There are moments she's scared, but I tell her, 'I'm right beside you. There's nothing to be afraid of.' I'm not going to force her to wear a hijab. It will be good if she wears it. I'd like to show her it's not going to stop you from doing anything that's safe and good for you, like seeing the world.
CBC
26-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
These women are defying Iran's hijab laws — despite fear of reprisal
The face of Tehran has been undergoing an extraordinary transformation in recent months, some neighbourhoods seeming to channel Beirut as much as the capital of the Islamic Republic where headscarves — or hijabs — have been mandatory for women for 45 years. Less than three years after the brutal crackdown on the protests that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody for an alleged dress code violation, a growing number of women are daring to bare their heads in public. They're not a majority, but on any given day in north Tehran's popular Tajrish Square, you'll find a mixture of women with and without headscarves. Some don't even wear them around their necks anymore, where they could be pulled up quickly if the decision to go bare-headed is challenged. "We young people have decided to live the way we like," said Laylah, a 30-year-old self-employed woman out shopping with her mother. The authorities "need to understand that we want to be free, comfortable and liberated." Like all the women interviewed in this story who were not wearing a headscarf, Laylah did not provide her last name for fear of repercussions for defying her country's hijab laws. A divided perspective on change Some analysts believe the Woman, Life, Freedom protest movement sparked by Amini's death in 2022 is here to stay. That the number of women — young and old — defying the hijab law is so great the regime will be unable to reverse it. Others say Iran's ruling clerics are allowing what's happening to continue because it suits their purposes at this time, noting that stories like this one, which highlight the seemingly dramatic change on the streets, actually distract from the draconian and often sinister ways the state continues to punish women who disobey. "I think that the authorities, frankly, are getting more clever about how they carry out their reprisals," said Nassim Papayianni, a senior Iran campaigner with Amnesty International based in London. The white vans used by Iran's controversial morality police are still visible on the streets of Tehran. But on a recent — and rare — reporting trip to the city, our crew didn't witness police make any arrests or bully those women not wearing the hijab. "What they're doing is just trying to adapt in a system that they think won't draw as much international attention," Papayianni said. "I think they know if they arrest women's rights defenders or women and girls for defying compulsory veiling that there will be a lot of international attention on that." The methods regularly used by authorities to enforce a dress code in place since just after the 1979 Islamic Revolution range from financial penalties to lashings or jail terms. And just because women are choosing to defy the law doesn't mean they are not afraid of repercussions. "I am afraid; I have concerns," said Saha, a 33-year-old human resources worker wearing her long curly hair uncovered while out in public. "But I'm doing this because I want [any future child of mine] not to have the same fear as I do," she said, speaking in Farsi. The feeling on the street is different now, she said, because more men are supporting women in these actions — as are older generations. "My mother is quite religious," she said. "She observes the hijab dress code. But at a protest she was standing next to me." Saha said she'd already been arrested once, after being photographed driving her car while not wearing a headscarf. New surveillance techniques Surveillance methods employed by state security forces are growing increasingly sophisticated. A United Nations report released in March found that drones, facial recognition technology and security cameras were being employed to monitor women's compliance. There is also an app the public can apply to the police to use that allows approved citizens to report on women deemed to be flouting the rules, said the report, authored by the Independent International Fact-finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran. The same body determined in 2024 that the state was responsible for the "physical violence" that led to Amini's death in 2022. There are other societal pressures at play. Many restaurants in Tehran put up signs requesting that women comply with headscarf rules, reminding customers that the restaurant could be closed down if women refused. "They're trying to pull in, you know, private business owners to essentially police women's bodies," said Amnesty's Papayianni. One woman who was happy to talk to a foreign news crew off the record said she couldn't have her picture taken without a headscarf for fear it would ruin her chances for a job in the public school system. Another woman said she didn't want any photos taken that "the mullahs" — the Islamic clergy leaders — could use to harass her. Stiffer penalties Last fall, Iran's parliament approved a new hijab and chastity law that would impose even tougher punishments on women violating dress codes: steeper fines and prison sentences of up to 15 years. So far, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has shied away from putting the legislation forward with his signature. He campaigned for last year's presidential election with promises to ease restrictions on women. But conservative hardliners close to Iran's ultimate power, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been pushing for the legislation to be implemented. "Unfortunately [unveiled women] have been influenced by Western culture," said Fatemeh Hojat, a 43-year-old mother wearing a full chador. "And the fact that the hijab law is not implemented properly in the country has exacerbated this issue," she said. WATCH | Mahsa Amini's death in custody sparked worldwide protest: Canada's Iranian community permeated with sense of uncertainty 3 years ago Duration 5:06 Members of Canada's largest Iranian community react to the ongoing violence in Iran as security forces intensify their crackdown. The latest reports say at least 13 people have been killed in the Kurdish region of Iran as security forces use live ammunition to quell anti-government demonstrations that started following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September. The undercurrent of fear that many of the women ignoring the hijab laws say they still carry with them could suggest a calm before the proverbial storm. Some analysts say the regime isn't cracking down harder on these daily acts of defiance because, right now, it can't afford the mass protests that might spark. Many of Iran's regional allies or proxies have suffered hits over the past year, just as Washington is exerting pressure on Iran in pursuit of a nuclear agreement to its liking. But there's also no doubt that the actions of an increasing number of Iranian women are seen as a challenge to Iran's theocracy. And periods of perceived reform or liberalism in the past have often been met with violent crackdowns. Laylah from Tajrish Square admits it's a possibility. "Good things will happen again," she said. "If they want to take away our freedom, we will try again to win freedom [...] and to live the way we want to live."
Associated Press
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
AP PHOTOS: A new bill banning headscarves could keep athletes off the court
PARIS (AP) — Thousands of young Muslim women in France are sidelined from competitive sport because of rules in several disciplines including basketball that ban uniforms and other clothing carrying a religious or political significance. Critics of the rules say they disproportionately target hijab-wearing Muslim athletes. Now, a contentious bill backed by right-wing politicians that would ban headscarves in all sporting competitions has cleared its first legislative hurdle in the Senate. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A headscarf ban is keeping basketball players off the court. A new bill could make it law in France
PARIS (AP) — Salimata Sylla was about to lead her team onto the basketball court, as she had done many times before. On that Sunday morning, she and her teammates had completed a three-hour bus trip from the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers to a rival club in northern France. They had changed and warmed up, and Sylla, the team captain, was ready to go. But moments before tipoff, she was told she could not play. The reason? Her headscarf. More than two years later, Sylla is still barred from competing under the French basketball federation's jurisdiction. The 27-year-old former point guard is among thousands of young Muslim women in France who are sidelined from competitive sport because of bans on uniforms and other clothing that have religious or political significance. These rules, critics say, disproportionately target hijab-wearing Muslim athletes. Now, a contentious bill backed by right-wing politicians that would ban headscarves in all sporting competitions has cleared its first legislative hurdle in the Senate. If passed by the lower house, it would enshrine into law what has until now been decided by individual sporting federations. Supporters say the proposed law is a necessary step to protect secularism — a pillar of the French Republic. Opponents denounce it as discriminatory, Islamophobic, and a violation of both the rule of law and the very concept of secularism. Athlete who wears hijab says it's a personal decision 'We know that sport is a vehicle for emancipation, especially for girls,' Sylla told The Associated Press. 'So what are they really trying to tell us? They think we're oppressed because we wear our headscarf? But in the end, they're also oppressing us because they've excluded us from basketball courts. We chose to be Muslims. Under no circumstances should you tell me what we should or shouldn't wear.' In January 2023, she was told to remove her headscarf if she wanted to play against rival club Escaudain in the National 3 league. Sylla refused, citing personal conviction and the fact that her sports hijab was officially approved and deemed suitable for competitive use. Only then did she learn that the basketball federation's rules banned all head coverings as inappropriate for play, contrary to the rules of the international basketball federation. 'I was really shocked,' Sylla said. 'I went to see the referee to tell him that I'd played eight games with it since the start of the season and that no one had banned me from playing with it. And he said: 'I'm sorry, here are the rules.'' The French federation did not provide The Associated Press with an explanation for the ban on hijabs in competitions. Sylla, who this year made a pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, has stopped playing with her former club. She continues hosting games outside of the federation's jurisdiction, organizing monthly tournaments in Paris and its suburbs that are open to women playing basketball with or without a hijab. 'You don't want to include us? So we're going to include everyone,' Sylla said. Secularism still a hot-button issue Until now, sports federations have been free to decide whether to allow headscarves. One of the country's predominant sports, soccer, opted to ban them. A date has yet to be set for the bill to be debated in the lower house of the Parliament. To pass, it would need a coalition of forces that don't usually work together in the deeply divided National Assembly. But the senators' vote in favor of the bill has already reignited the ongoing debate on secularism and the separation of church and state. It's still a hot-button issue more than a century after a 1905 law established it as a principle of the French Republic. French secularism — 'la laïcité' — affirms the concept of religious freedom, while stipulating that the state does not favor any religion and remains neutral. At its most basic level, it holds that everyone in France is free to believe — or to not believe — and free to worship as they want but not to foist their religious beliefs on others in public spaces. Conceived to protect everyone's religious freedom after centuries of bloody religious wars, the laïcité is now seen by critics as a pretext to discriminate and restrict Muslims' access to public life. 'Les Hijabeuses' at the forefront A group of headscarf-wearing soccer players called 'Les Hijabeuses,' who campaign against the ban, say the new bill would unfairly force Muslim women to choose between wearing a headscarf or playing a sport. 'We reject this injustice,' they said. 'Because this law has no place in France. And it never will. We will continue to fight until this choice is no longer imposed.' After France's highest administrative court ruled in 2023 that the soccer federation can ban headscarves in matches, the Hijabeuses have lodged a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights against France, alleging a violation of their freedom of religion. Supporters of the bill cite growing attacks on secularism in sport, arguing that its core values are based on a principle of universality. To protect sports grounds from any nonsporting confrontation, they say, a principle of neutrality needs to be implemented to ensure that no political, religious or racial agenda can be promoted. 'For several years now, governing bodies and local elected officials have been warning of the rampant spread of the ideas of the architects of radicalization and proselytism in sport,' said Michel Savin, the senator who promoted the bill. 'Whenever they can, they try to test the limits of our republican principles.' Nicolas Cadène, the former secretary-general of the now defunct Observatory for Laïcité, a nonpartisan institution that previously advised the French government, says the principles of French secularism cannot be used to justify the headscarf ban. 'The state, because it is secular, has no business judging a religious symbol,' he said. 'That is not its concern. The state does not deal with religious symbols — it only prohibits them for those who represent the public administration. This law aims to exclude all these young women.' A heated debate sparking divisions The bill is dividing the government and pitting athletes against each other. Five-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner — a towering figure in French sports — has joined the fray, arguing that the bill was targeting one religion, and that French society should instead focus on promoting equality. Mahyar Monshipour, a former professional boxer born in Iran, hit back, asking Riner not to get involved in a debate he did not understand. 'The headscarf — which is not, as they would have you believe, a piece of cloth covering the hair but rather a 'shroud' meant to conceal the bodies of women from the onset of menstruation — is in itself a visible sign of an institutionalized and legitimized inequality between men and women,' Monshipour argued. The dispute has exposed cracks within the coalition government. While some ministers have expressed doubts about the bill, it has the strong backing of hard-right heavyweights such as Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. The hijab 'radically questions the equality of men and women, and is a sign of the degradation of the status of women,' he said. 'Obviously not all women who wear the veil are Islamists. But you won't find a single Islamist who doesn't want women to wear the veil.' Lawmakers have previously approved a bill to strengthen oversight of mosques, schools and sports clubs. With France bloodied by terror attacks, there is widespread sentiment that Islamic radicalization was a danger. But critics also viewed that 2021 law as a political ploy to lure the right wing to President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party ahead of the presidential election that Macron won. With the next presidential election two years away, the debate over radical Islam has resurfaced, returning to the spotlight following the recent release of a government-commissioned report that raised concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood's efforts to expand its influence in France through grassroots organizations, including sports clubs. France stands alone with religious headwear ban Amnesty International said the new bill targets Muslim women and girls by excluding them from sporting competitions if they wear a headscarf or other religious clothing. Ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games, Amnesty published research looking at rules in 38 European countries and found that France was the only country to ban religious headwear in sport. 'If the law passes, France will be the only democracy in the world to ban all religious head coverings or accessories in sports,' Cadène said. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. ___ AP Sports:
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A basketball player was sidelined for her headscarf. France may now ban them in all sports
PARIS (AP) — Salimata Sylla was about to lead her team onto the basketball court, as she had done many times before. On that Sunday morning, she and her teammates had completed a three-hour bus trip from the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers to a rival club in northern France. They had changed and warmed up, and Sylla, the team captain, was ready to go. But moments before tipoff, she was told she could not play. The reason? Her headscarf. More than two years later, Sylla is still barred from competing under the French basketball federation's jurisdiction. The 27-year-old former point guard is among thousands of young Muslim women in France who are sidelined from competitive sport because of bans on uniforms and other clothing that have religious or political significance. These rules, critics say, disproportionately target hijab-wearing Muslim athletes. Now, a contentious bill backed by right-wing politicians that would ban headscarves in all sporting competitions has cleared its first legislative hurdle in the Senate. If passed by the lower house, it would enshrine into law what has until now been decided by individual sporting federations. Supporters say the proposed law is a necessary step to protect secularism — a pillar of the French Republic. Opponents denounce it as discriminatory, Islamophobic, and a violation of both the rule of law and the very concept of secularism. Athlete who wears hijab says it's a personal decision In January 2023, she was told to remove her hajib if she wanted to play against a rival club. Sylla refused, citing personal conviction and the fact that her sports hijab was officially approved and deemed suitable for competitive use. The basketball federation bans all head coverings as inappropriate for play, contrary to the rules of the international federation. The French federation did not provide The Associated Press with an explanation for the ban on hijabs in competitions. Sylla has stopped playing with her former club. She continues hosting games outside of the federation's jurisdiction, organizing monthly tournaments in Paris and its suburbs that are open to women playing basketball with or without a hijab. Secularism still a hot-button issue Until now, sports federations have been free to decide whether to allow headscarves. A date has yet to be set for the bill to be debated in the lower house of the Parliament. But the senators' vote in favor of the bill has already reignited the ongoing debate on secularism and the separation of church and state. It's still a hot-button issue more than a century after a 1905 law established it as a principle of the French Republic. French secularism — 'la laïcité' — affirms the concept of religious freedom, while stipulating that the state does not favor any religion and remains neutral. It is, however, seen by critics as a pretext to discriminate and restrict Muslims' access to public life. 'Les Hijabeuses' at the forefront A group of headscarf-wearing soccer players called 'Les Hijabeuses,' who campaign against the ban, say the new bill would unfairly force Muslim women to choose between wearing a headscarf or playing a sport. After France's highest administrative court ruled in 2023 that the soccer federation can ban headscarves in matches, the Hijabeuses have lodged a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights against France, alleging a violation of their freedom of religion. Supporters of the bill cite growing attacks on secularism in sport, arguing that its core values are based on a principle of universality. To protect sports grounds from any nonsporting confrontation, they say, a principle of neutrality needs to be implemented to ensure that no political, religious or racial agenda can be promoted. But Nicolas Cadène, the former secretary-general of the now defunct Observatory for Laïcité, a nonpartisan institution that previously advised the French government, disagrees. He says the principles of French secularism cannot be used to justify the headscarf ban because it's not the role of a secular state to judge a religious symbol. A heated debate sparking divisions The bill is dividing the government and pitting athletes against each other. Five-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner — a towering figure in French sports — argued that the bill was targeting one religion, and that French society should instead focus on promoting equality. Mahyar Monshipour, a former professional boxer born in Iran, hit back, asking Riner not to get involved in a debate he did not understand. Monshipour claimed that the headscarf is meant to conceal the bodies of women and used to legitimize inequality between men and women. The dispute has also exposed cracks within the coalition government. While some ministers have expressed doubts about the bill, it has the strong backing of hard-right heavyweights. Lawmakers have previously approved a bill to strengthen oversight of mosques, schools and sports clubs. With France bloodied by terror attacks, there is widespread sentiment that Islamic radicalization was a danger. But critics also viewed that 2021 law as a political ploy to lure the right wing to President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party ahead of the presidential election that Macron won. With the next presidential election two years away, the debate over radical Islam has resurfaced, returning to the spotlight following the release recently of a government-commissioned report that raised concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood's efforts to expand its influence in France through grassroots organizations, including sports clubs. France stands alone with religious headwear ban Amnesty International said the new bill targets Muslim women and girls by excluding them from sporting competitions if they wear a headscarf or other religious clothing. Ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games, Amnesty published research looking at rules in 38 European countries and found that France was the only country to ban religious headwear in sport. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. ___ AP Sports: Samuel Petrequin And Alex Turnbull, The Associated Press
