Hijab is a representation of a strong and confident woman and despite claims of the contrary it doesn't hinder but empowers a woman to pursue her dreams and goals. Muslim women all over the world have shown that Hijab can be a symbol of achievement, success, and trailblazing. From politics to sports Hijab-wearing Muslims have made a mark everywhere. Here we take a look at the top 10 Hijab-wearing Muslim women in the world.
Ilhan Omar
Ilhan Omar made history when she became the first hijab-wearing Somali-American to be elected as a congresswoman in America.
Currently serving as the US representative for Minnesota’s 5th district, Omar has been vocal about hijab-provoked bullying she faced growing up and instituted a modification to the ban on head-coverings in the U.S. house.
Ibtihaj Muhammad
Ibtihaj Muhammad became the first hijab-wearing Muslim-American Olympic athlete to compete in the Olympics and win a medal in 2016.
Ibtihaj won the bronze medal in the Women’s Individual Sabre at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The Olympic gold medalist is an inspirational figure for girls around the world as she has been vocal about her intentions to consciously wear a hijab and prove a hijab does not stand in the way of personal success and empowerment.
Nadiya Hussain
Nadiya Hussain made waves in British media when the British-Bangladeshi TV chef and when appeared and won the 6th season of The Great British Bake Off as a hijab-wearing chef.
Her appearance on the popular reality show was an instant hit, promoting cultural inclusivity and
diversity and shattering stereotypes.
Since then, Hussain has gone on to become a popular TV personality, presenting the travelogue show 'The Chronicles of Nadiya' and 'Nadiya’s British Food Adventure' alongside hosting her own Netflix show 'Nadiya Bakes'.
Mariah Idrissi
The British model of Moroccan-Pakistani descent acquired international fame when she, became the first Muslim hijab-wearing model in the fashion industry appearing in an H&M campaign in 2015.
She continues to promote representation and cultural diversity in the world of fashion and inspired Muslim women around the world to reclaim the hijab as an assertion of empowerment.
Nor Diana
Nor Diana is the world's first hijab-wearing wrestling champion.
Nor Diana began making global headlines last year when she floored four male competitors to become the first female to win the Malaysia Pro Wrestling (MyPW) Wrestlecon title.
Today, the 20-year-old fighter known as 'Phoenix' continues to inspire athletes around the world.
EVA B
Eva B, is the first female rapper from Balochistan in Pakistan.
She shot to fame in Coke Studio season 14 when she appeared in the song 'Kana Yaari' rapping her way to hearts of the viewers.
Despite coming to limelight now, Eva B has done many rap songs some of them in Urdu that are worth lending an ear.
Eva plans on talking about big and bold issues like unemployment, peace, child marriages and education via her rap songs.
Stephanie Kurlow
The Russian-Australian dancer is celebrated for being the world’s first hijab-wearing professional ballerina.
Wearing the hijab full-time since the age of 11, Kurlow faced years of rejection from ballet classes for wearing the hijab.
Kurlow has also campaigned in collaboration with famous brands Lenovo and Converse to promote inclusivity in arts and inspire young girls to overcome faith-prompted obstacles.
Yuna
Yunalis Mat Zara’ai became the first Malaysian artist to make it to Billboard’s Top 10 R&B albums.
The Hijab wearing lawyer by training decided to take on a career in singing following her passion for music.
Yuna stated how her ultimate aim was to make music and not really be a ‘pop star’, thereby choosing to proudly sport her hijab and wear her identity as a simple Muslim girl who loves music.
Asma Elbadawi
She began lobbying and gathering signatures on an online petition in 2017 and after she collected 130,000 signatures and Fiba finally reversed its rule.
In addition to being an athlete and activist, Elbadawi is a spoken-word poet. Last year, she published 'Belongings', a collection of poetry that explores her identity as a British-Sudanese woman and covers topics such as racism, migration, mental health, and sport.
Raffia Arshad
In 2020, Raffia Arshad was appointed as UK's first hijab-wearing judge. Raffia, 40, was appointed a Deputy District Judge on the Midlands circuit after having pursued a career in law for 17 years.
She believes that young Muslims will be inspired to pursue their goals if they see themselves represented in every profession. Arshad said, “The judicial office are doing their utmost to promote diversity and at the time they appointed me they didn’t know I was going to be the first hijab-wearing judge. I’ve been appointed on merit, not because I wear a hijab.
Speaking of her decision she said, “I decided that I was going to wear my headscarf because for me it’s so important to accept the person for who they are and if I had to become a different person to pursue my profession, it’s not something I wanted. So I did, and I succeeded in the interview.