GETTY IMAGES/FLICKR OPEN
Voices
nothing had changed; I had simply crossed over to another world
for one season.
The power of this experience lies
in the fact that it was not an intentional experiment. It happened
simply because of the Chiberian
weather, which required me to
cover as much of my body as possible with warm pieces of cloth.
Apparently, the type of cloth you
place or wrap around your head
defines how you will be treated.
I had never realized that with
my hijab, I am given less respect
and love and am not as accepted.
I had always thought that the
type of treatment I am exposed to
LEENA
SULEIMAN
HUFFINGTON
02.23.14
I was now acting like
someone who had been bullied
for years and had finally been
accepted by the mean girls.”
is just how the world is. I didn’t
know that people could be nicer.
Thank you, winter. Thank you,
subzero temperatures.
I pray that one day, and soon,
people will be familiar enough with
all other cultures and beliefs that
they are not afraid and do not have
reservations, and that the thing
that stands out to them is not the
wrap around my head but
the smile on my face.
Leena Suleiman is an architectural
designer and blogger.