To feel sad to see 5 year old girl in hijab

[INeedSomeSun]

Probably will get flamed for this & iabu as its not my business.
I am not racist in any way. I am Asian myself and have many Muslim friends.

Growing up, I never saw any muslim girls with hijabs. This is a trend which has been growing since the late 90s.

I know that the meaning behind the hijab is to protect modesty and show committment to Islam. It is supposed to be the girls/womans decision after much thought and dedication.

At 5 years old they are still getting changed in the classroom for PE and she won't be able to do this now with boys around. How will she play and do PE freely? She has been singled out by the views of her parents.
Also, she will barely know what religion means, so she has not made an informed decision for herself.

Normally she is chasing about with my DS and other kids before school.Today she was just stood there, perhaps embarrassed or told not to?
I felt very sad

[Crumbledwalnuts]

Agree with you to be honest.

[INeedSomeSun]

Just to add that she has just started wearing it today.

[ReginaPhilangie]

YANBU.

[scaevola]

I share your sadness.

Although I wouldn't expect my views to prevail on how someone else interprets their religion nor how they school their children in observances. I had always thought though that covering up was not a requirement until puberty, and prefer to see smaller children being children. And modest dress can be achieved without hijab.

[Startail]

YANBU
There were a brother and sister (3-6ish the girl being the elder) who rode trikes past my student flat. There were several family flats used by overseas post grads.

The boy tore past without a care in the world while the girl made frequent stops to mess with a head scarf that was clearly annoying her.

[CrapsWithBears]

I've worked with girls who wore hijabs and they were perfectly able, and allowed, to play with other children and take part in PE.

[Edendance]

Not unreasonable!

[SugarMiceInTheRain]

No flaming here. I agree with you and I would find that really sad. Let children be children!

[HintofBream]

Our GP told us that there were cases of rickets amongst the Asian children in our town, because the girls in burkas were not receiving enough sunlight and therefore vitamin D.

[curlew]

Why on earth was she wearing hijab at 5? Isn't it usually adopted at puberty?

[Branleuse]

I dont see what difference a hijab on its own will make to pe. its just a headscarf.

[propertyNIGHTmareBEFOREXMAS]

Yanbu. Poor little girl. Very sad that such impacting decisions have been made for her.

[BlessedDespair]

YANBU

I had a friend in school, who once she reached 14, would remove her hijab at school and only put it back on on her way home. She would have gone without it all the time if doing so wouldn't have upset her parents

[Latara]

YANBU. Hijab is a choice girls make around puberty. It shouldn't be forced onto a child who is too young to understand religion.

[SomethingProfound]

Hinto really

[BaronessBomburst]

I totally agree with you.

I also get angry when I see the little girls on cbeebies wearing the scarf. (think the monkey-movers on Zingzillas and Mr Maker's mini-makers). I think it serves to normalize the behaviour and make it acceptable: it isn't. I am angry that the BBC condones the beliefs of the extremists. :(

[CrapsWithBears]

I often go to my doctors and discuss the medical issues affecting religious communities.

[gordyslovesheep]

It's a scarf ...I agree she is young to be wearing it but its.not as if they have removed a limb ...it may seem odd but I don't think its worth being overly hand wringy about

[muminthecity]

There are lots of girls in my primary school who wear hijabs, some of whom are in nursery or reception. They don't have to wear them all the time, they take them off for PE, or when they are playing outside, or whenever they are hot. Most children copy what their parents do, I think lots of them want to wear them because their mums/aunts/older sisters do.

[Ogg]

But they are removing her freedom of movement and her choice !

[Stillhopingstillhere]

I taught a girl of 6 once who had to wear a hijab.
She also had to wear a swimming costume that went from neck to feet and down to her wrists - like a wet suit I guess.
She couldn't get changed with the rest of the class and had to change on her own.
She also couldn't participate in music or assemblies.


I just think it's very young, she was 6. The others in the class were 5 and 6. In no way were they going to be viewing each other in a sexual way.
I understand when they are a bit older and it's a woman's own decision. But at 5 or 6 they are still very little.

[Elquota]

YANBU

[squalorvictoria]

I've seen toddlers in hijabs, and a tiny girl wearing a full veil (impossible to tell how old she was, around five or six I suppose).

Considering the hijab/veil is supposed to protect from the lustful gaze of a man, I'm not sure what the parents are playing at.

[CrapsWithBears]

BaronessBomburst

What do you suggest they do? Exclude children wearing hijabs? Should they also exclude Sikh boys who wear a patka? And since when was every child wearing a hijab being raised be an extremist?