2MFM Coverage – International Women’s Day Event

With the glamorous theme “Be informed, be inspired, be enlightened and be Beautiful” the Face and Head covering awareness day held at Salamah College Hall on the 8th of March organised by the Muslim Women’s Welfare of Australia (MWWA), distributed the true meaning and essence of the Hijab. The event, which was held on International Women’s Day, fostered a face and head covering awareness presentations , including a show of the latest fashions in modest clothing.

With the aim of empowering, enlightening and informing women, the initiative granted confidence to many courageous women who continue to carry a symbol of modesty, universally known as the Hijab. The event commenced with a soothing recitation of the Holy Qur’an by a young female Muslim who captured the hearts and awareness of the attendees who flocked in their hundreds. The audience of female Muslims then became humbled and moved by a delightful projection regarding the various social activities that have been put into practice over the years by MWWA. Such activities like the breast cancer workshop, drug awareness dinner, understanding Muslim women forum and clean up Australia day are all in line with the objectives of the association because such collaborative and collective social involvement leads to increased empowerment and solidarity among women.

The event fruitfully raised awareness of the value of Hijab through educational sessions and practical demonstrations of different clothing collections in order to outline the requirements of the Hijab. Among which was an inspirational and educational session with the President of MWWA, Hajjeh Faten El-Dana OAM  who nurtured the audience with a profusion of awareness and understanding regarding the Islamic definition of the Niqab and the Hijab. Her eloquent dialogue with the audience was able to empower them to abide by their religious obligations as she spoke about the significance of female modesty.  Thus, they learnt that Muslim women can still wear fashionable clothing as long as they control their fashion styles to be in line with their obligatory Hijab requirements.

{gallery}international_women_day_2014{/gallery}

As part of cultivating a sense of understanding within the community about face covering, a member of MWWA, Sandy Aweeck spoke about the history of the face covering legislation.  The program was also one aimed at sharing personal stories by those who hold the Hijab with high respect and admiration. Through a video presentation, the attendees listened to the voices of the Muslim women in the community (ranging from teachers, radio presenters, mothers, business owners) who expressively answered two questions: How the Hijab makes them feel and how has the Hijab changed their lives. The presentation was exceptionally effective at inspiring and encouraging many Muslim Women to embrace the Hijab and follow the pathway to success.

For a devout Muslim lady, a Hijab is not merely a piece of cloth on her head but is a symbol of Islam. For her, what follows when wearing a Hijab is modesty in the way she talks and in the way she carries herself in public. She does not find Hijab a hindrance to work; in fact, it has become a symbol of her efficiency, dignity and chastity.

Also, as part of educating the community about the provisions of the face covering legislation, the Commander Superintendent David Eardley from Bankstown Police Station informed the women about the how the legislation is applied in practice and that people will only be required to remove a face covering for as long as it takes to identify them.

After the multimedia presentation, guests were presented with a marvellous collection of Hijab styles worn by models on the runway, designed by a local Hijab stylist. The presentation of Hijab styles primarily expressed the idea that women can still be creative with their Hijab while abiding by the Islamic requirements of the Hijab. The viewers were given the ability to reflect on the wide assortment of Hijab designs, styles, colours and accessories along with a glimmer of modesty to top it off. While the Islamic Hijab is a vital part of the religion to preserve modesty, it also gives women the chance to be creative and express her individuality with the way she designs her Hijab. So, the styles that were portrayed allow the woman to present a modest appearance, yet also project a refreshing feeling of vitality, beauty and grace. The Hijab designs came in numerous prints and fabrics and the Hijab stylist showed how the scarf can be pinned up with decorative clips and accessories and how a woman can find the scarves in various forms and shapes such as triangular, or square adding and matching, decorative jewellery.
Dr Eman Sharobeem from CRC.

Due to the fact that many Muslim women occasionally don’t know how to balance between their religious obligations concerning the Hijab and what is offered in stores for them to buy, the event offered an exhilarating fashion show conveying the modest but fashionable clothing by a globally recognized Hijab company offering a broad range of shawls, scarfs and modest clothing. The fashion show featured ready-to-wear designs that ranged from casual to formal attire. The audience was pampered by the sight of the beautiful fabrics as well as the pastel and bright colours which dominated the featured collections. The fashion show’s concept was to convey the modern, modest fashion trends in women embracing the Hijab.

The volunteers of MWWA ensured none of the guests returned home empty handed or with an empty stomach as each went home with something to remember, something to reflect on and the lucky ones won prizes that were happily donated by the Muslim Women’s Welfare Association.

So, the event expressed the message that the Hijab is an apparel of honour, a garment of modesty and a shield against immorality. It is our pride. It is our dignity, it’s our choice. All in all, the event surely lived up to its slogan, to be informed, be inspired, be enlightened, be Beautiful.