Hadeel Abdallah_College Essay Drafts

8/10/2019 Hadeel Abdallah_College Essay Drafts

1/12


2/12


3/12


4/12


5/12


6/12


7/12


8/12


9/12


10/12


11/12

Abdallah 1

Hadeel Abdallah

Mrs. Turner

Dual Credit English

15 October 2014

The Shift

I am an Americana very proud one at that, and I choose to wear my headscarf, or hijab,

with confidence and conviction. Growing up, I was surrounded by multiple friends who wore it,

so I thought putting it on would be easyI was completely wrong. My first day of high school

was also my first day of public school, so deciding to permanently wear my hijabin high school

is something that inordinate ly changed me. The struggles I overcame are what paved the way to

a new identity.

I am often asked if I was forced to wear my hijab. Um, excuse me, forced? My family

never forced me to do anything. I was shocked to think that that was something that lingered in

peoples minds. Did they think I was being tyrannized by own family? I always felt liberated and

comfortable in my own skin, and now people were starting to question if I had any freedomas

if it was a normal question to ask. I didnt mind if I was questioned, I minded when others felt

pity for me. My scarf liberated me; it gave me invaluable experiences that I would have

otherwise never endured if I didnt wear it.I craved for people to know that. I didnt need pity; I

needed acceptance.

I realized that the friends who knew me both before and after my headscarf, still decided

to be my friend, and they were the true ones. All my superficial relationships were dropped. I


12/12

Abdallah 2

knew that if people approached me, it was because of what they thought of me as a person, not

because of how I looked. Connecting to God, and to those who mattered, made me a better

human being. I am glad that I was able to realize this towards the end of my freshman year. That

was when, for the first time, I truly started to understand who I was. I also figured out that for

others to accept me, I had to first accept myself.

Now I look at peoples questions no longer as a burden; I see them as an opportunity to

show them how beautiful Islam and hijab is. I was finally able to have the confidence to explain

to my friends that wearing hijab is not a sign of oppression; it is a sign of freedom. To do

anything I want and to believe in anything I want. I realized that wearing my hijab made me

appreciated for my opinion rather than my hair or my body. It isnt just about throwing acloth

over my head; it is about covering my body on the outside so that my inner self can shine. My

scarf made it easy to start concentrating on who I am from within.

My identity is influenced by my scarf because it will always be a part of me. It reminds

me that when I encounter others, I should always look at what is on the inside. If I focus on what

is on the outside, Ill never be happy.

Documents

Hadeel Abdallah_College Essay Drafts