RIFA IS ON RIFA (Rifa is on the right path)
From the land of the misogynists,
From a world that considers a Hijab clad women to be a nobody,
There arose a Hijabi, who traveled all over India by the Jagrtiti Yathra.
A Hijabi, not afraid to stand for what she believes in.
a Hijabi who Dreamed and achieved,
Rifa Sanbaq, a journalist student in MBL, Calicut became the only Hijabi to be part of this year's Jagriti Yathra, an initiative to make the promising youth to know the inner India. She shares her experience as a Hijabi who under the social stigma is considered not "appropriate" to be a part of such movement. Get ready to get inspired
“Jagriti Yatra is an ambitious train journey of discovery and transformation that takes hundreds of India’s highly motivated youth, especially those who are from small towns and villages of India, on a 15 day, 8000 km national odyssey to meet the role models – social and business entrepreneurs – of the country.”
From 17,000 registrations,3200 submissions 450 were selected for a 10,000kms + train journey through out India ,one of the longest of its type .
I truly believe the modest outward attire (Hijab) is not just a piece of cloth,it is an attitude. An attitude of who you are ,and where you are heading to. It was true that I was the only one wearing a Hijab,but this never did hinder me from doing what I really wanted to do or how people responded to me. This was a group of youngsters from all around India and abroad,who own liberal thoughts and secular minds. So being a Hijabi was never an out of box statement.but the question I faced most was-
Why do you wear this??
Your parents are not beside you???
You are educated and you still wear this????
This Hijab makes you look odd,why do you choose to wear this???
So goes on the questions from different people.These questions, I truly believe were not because I was a Muslim or because they had any issues with Islam…these were questions the world really wants to know. The truth is most people believe this piece of cloth is a statement for a girl to sit at home or rather be a homemaker.What I was really trying to tell my friends was that this Hijab is not a barrier for conquering the world or your dreams and I don’t wear it for my parents but for myself. This is an attitude which shows you own a great legacy to be shown in front of the world. Hijab can be a symbol of piety and it can be a sign of great inner strength and fortitude. A woman wearing Hijab becomes a very visible sign of Islam.
But the sad thing is,and the reason why people look at you with bulged eyes is because of our fellow sisters who refuse to pursue their career and dreams in the name of Islam. Islam has actually given a great position to women. The thousands of Hadees that we know were recorded by a woman ,AYSHA,who got widowed at a very young age, at which most modern-day girls are only just preparing to go to college. Henceforth, she spent her life propagating the Deen(Religion) of Allah, especially the words and actions of her late husband, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). "there has been no great scholar like her"says history.
Reaction of Parents and Relatives...
Like any other muslim parents, my parents also worried on sending their daughter to a Yathra ,that too all around india not to mention 12,0000+ kms!! I know this was not because they wanted to stop me,but because this is what the society has described on how a girl should be,especially a muslim girl.She ought not to travel…that too unmarried?? Ohh gosh..!! Since I am blessed with the most lovely parents on earth they really understood what this journey was about-to discover india,to build india through enterprise and to find yourselves where you stand in a country like india. And the best part was they really believed I could contribute ,even if in a micro level. Apart from being asking me to be safe and take care of myself they were happy about the Yathra and that I was completely sponsored by Coke.Relatives. usually, in everybodys case they are the real villains. But unfortunately or fortunately, they were happy about this and did not pass much comments on it. Guess they were happy and many aunts were sad on the fact that they have grown so old and had never an opportunity to travel or see the world around.
A Moment To Remember
Every moment in the yathra was truly worth remembering.To name one..ok.. Since there was almost 1000 yathris on train it was hard remembering all of them. But me being an odd one out ,(the one with a head scarf) many of them came to me! They were eager to know how a muslim girl ,that too pursuing her JOURNALISM reached here in life. Usually Muslim girls don’t do such stuff.
What is your story??
We really want to know!!!
How come you convinced your parents????
How come you have a camera??this is a rare sight!!
And there was a moment in the train where about a few people all at once came to me saying.."ohh are you the one doing journalism? we really want to hear from you"…this is not the most unforgettable moment.I have been hearing only unlikely words from people around home and nearby since I joined journalism, but all this really gave me immence happiness and pride on the decision I took in my life that I felt, yup,]that was a right one. Many come to me to ask my name.I said Rifa.They ask me "what does it mean?" I said, "It means “The right path”and then they hear what I do and they tell me…"yes now we know, RIFA IS ON RIFA (Rifa is on the right path) ".
The Hijabi Power Is Yet To Be Unleashed..
Throughout the journey (Mumbai-Hubli-Bangalore-Madurai-Chennai-Vishakpattanam-Behrampur-Rajgir-Deoria-Delhi-Tilonia-Ahmedabad-Mumbai) there were million women issues, child issues , issues of the society to be delt with. Gram Vikas in Behrampur(Odissa) is an organization to bring about sustainable improvement in the quality of life of the poor and marginalized rural communities.in Deoria(UP). We witnessed lack of sanitation, education and isn’t this not what Islam is fundamentally about ?? Give to the poor, heal and care the needy. Then why are the Hijabis and the so called Muslims not stepping out to do what really is the need of the hour?? This is why I want to urge my sisters.Come up with solutions for these problems, travel, let your wings be apart and start flying in the humble way you can. I really want to tell them, neither this religion nor this viel is a barrier from conquering what you really want to do or chasing your dreams! Over half of mankind comprises of the so-called ‘fairer gender’; girls and women. Under the laws of Islam, women emerge from their homes on the basis of necessity. By not being allowed by Islamic Law to occupy leadership positions in governance, they are supposed to keep their homes as their focus and prime domain of activity, much to the chagrin of contemporary secular feminists and the joy of patriarchal chauvinistic misogynists.But does this really mean that Muslim women are always out of the limelight and in the background, even if they are passively achieving ‘silent miracles’ inside every home and family? Does it mean that the actions of righteous Muslim women cannot have a global impact? That they cannot make credible and praiseworthy achievements? That they cannot leave behind a legacy that influences thousands if not millions of men and women in the generations to come?
A million questions on line…hope answers would be Action.Assalam
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