Hawzah News Agency-Every year, the Muslim Student Association extends an invitation to the Florida International University (FIU) community in Miami, US – regardless of faith – to don the hijab; the veil Muslim women wear in public and walk a day in a Muslim woman’s shoes through the Hijab-A-Thon.

The Hijab-A-Thon is an all-day event, taking place Oct. 26. Participants will be fit with a hijab from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in GC 343, after which, they will proceed with their normal routine. At 7:30 p.m., all participants will meet for the Hijab-A-Thon Banquet in GC 243, where they will have the chance to share their experiences throughout the day and raise funds for breast cancer awareness and research.

For Sara Haroon, the hijab is more than a piece of clothing.

“It represents me,” the president of the MMC Muslim Student Association, said referring to her head scarf. “When I go out, it’s an obvious representation that I’m Muslim and am proud of my faith.”

The hijab is worn to cover the hair, neck and chest as a symbol of modesty and privacy, but according to Haroon, the hijab is deeply misunderstood.

“[People] think it’s a form of oppression and there are just a lot of misconceptions,” Haroon said to Student Media.

For this reason, she feels blessed to have grown up in South Florida.

“A lot of my friends who wear hijab get racist comments yelled at them such as ‘go back to your country.’ Even here, which shocks me in Miami, it is still common.”

She feels that the remarks stem from a place of misunderstanding and unfamiliarity with Islamic culture.

“People don’t know what Islam or Muslims are,” Haroon said. “So we get labelled as extremists.”

“A lot of women get degraded; this takes away that feeling of being viewed as a piece of meat. I personally feel that I don’t get judged by my appearance, I get judged by what I’m saying to you” Haroon explained.

Hijab is a way of life for Muslim women.

Haroon said. “It’s interesting because people would think it’d be the opposite. It’s become a part of myself and my character.”

“A lot of religious practices are internal. But [the hijab] is a commandment from God that is shown to the whole world,” Haroon said. “Everyone sees that I took this commitment. I think that’s what’s really cool and different about it. It’s an act of worship that’s public and always with you wherever you go.”

The Hijab-A-Thon provides the experience of a deeply rooted part of Islamic culture and the realization of a Muslim woman’s reality.