(November 2002)
Endorsements | Frequently Asked Questions | Download Flyer
Friday 29 November 2002
A national day of solidarity with Muslim
women and a protest against racially motivated
attacks on Muslim
women in Australian cities.
On Friday 29 November all Australian women everywhere are invited to wear a headscarf in public for the day. You do not need to change your attire, there is no rally to attend, no petitions to sign. It's easy. Dress as usual, put a scarf over your head and go about your day. Any scarf will do.
Headscarf Day is in solidarity with our Muslim sisters who have been the target of racially motivated attacks in Sydney recently. Traditional Muslim women are an easy target because their traditional dress makes them visible. Let us make them feel that they belong, and that they are protected, by helping them blend in. And let us send a message to the racist thugs who attack them that their behaviour is unacceptable. Men are also invited to join us by wearing some form of traditional Muslim head dress.
I am a Jewish woman, a former Israeli and an Australian citizen. I have decided to organise Headscarf Day because with my background I simply cannot sit by and watch while Muslim people and women in particular are becoming the target of racism.
ASIO's raids on Muslim homes are giving legitimacy to racist attacks on Muslims in our streets, and helping to create a culture of `us and them' in Australia. We must make it clear both to street thugs and our government that the Australian people are united in our rejection of racism, and that we will not allow the population of our country to be polarised. Surely there are appropriate ways to deal with security concerns without resorting to bullying and intimidation.
First They Came for the Jews
by Pastor Niemoller
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.Then they came for me
and there was no-one left to speak out
for me.
Endorsements
Headscarf Day has now been endorsed by:
Senator Kerry Nettle, Australian Greens
Muslim Women's National Network of Australia
Sandra Goldbloom Zurbo, author, Joint Secretary of Jews for a Just Peace
The Australian National University
Islamic Foundation of Australia, Inc.
Psychologists for the Promotion of World Peace
Australian Jewish Democratic Society
Australian Arabic Communities Council
Mennonite/Anabaptist Church of Hope, Newcastle
Islamic Council of Victoria
Australian Federation of Islamic Councils
www.Islamicsydney.com
Islamic Egyptian Society of NSW
ACT Division Council of the National Tertiary Education Union
Victorian Peace Network
Indonesian Community Association of Victoria (IKAWIRIA)
Palestine Costume Archive, Canberra
If you want to add your name or your organisation to this list, please use the feedback form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have you checked that this isn't offensive to Muslims?
Headscarf Day has been endorsed by Muslim women's organisations and other Muslim organisations around Australia. I am receiving emails every day from many Muslim women all positive. Many Muslim women who are not religious and who do not usually wear a headscarf or traditional dress have told me that they will wear a headscarf on the day.
What's more, those emails have made it even clearer to me just how bad things are for Muslim women at the moment. One woman, not even a Muslim, put a scarf around her head just to keep warm on a cold and windy Canberra evening, and was spat on.
Isn't the headscarf a symbol of women's oppression?
Many women have been concerned that by wearing a headscarf they are promoting the oppression of women.
Firstly I encourage everyone to act according to their conscience and values. If you're not comfortable wearing a headscarf, don't do it. No-one should act against their values. If you support the day in spirit, but decide not to wear a headscarf, that's OK.
My personal view is that it is not the headscarf in itself that is oppressive, it is forcing women to wear it (or not to wear it) that is oppressive. I believe in freedom of choice for all people.
If we put forward an argument that the headscarf as an item of clothing is oppressive, then I think we need to look also at suits and ties being oppressive to men and high heeled shoes and makeup as being oppressive to women. We tend to overlook this kind of oppression in our Western culture and are very quick to judge other cultures.
National Headscarf Day is not about criticising or endorsing the customs of other cultures. It is a simple, symbolic gesture to support those among us who do choose to wear their traditional dress and are being harrassed for it.
What should men put on their heads if they want to participate?
I have no clear answer to that. Muslim people come from many cultures and what men wear depends on where they come from. I invite men to use their creativity and improvise. Perhaps you could ask a Muslim friend for a suggestion.
I fully support National Headscarf Day but I do not feel comfortable wearing a headscarf or any headdress. What can I do?
I have heard from a community in NSW that has decided to make special badges or ribbons for the day. If you do not wish to wear a headscarf please use your creativity and show your solidarity in some other way. As long as it is visible, clear and respectful to everyone it will send the right message.
Our Muslim brothers and sisters need our solidarity more than I had imagined originally. From the emails I have been receiving it is becoming clear that expressions of racism against them are much worse than I thought.
Download a flyer for National Headscarf Day [PDF 236K]. (This is a new version, quite a bit clearer than the old one, and 100K smaller!)
Come Join Us on Headscarf Day and make your mark!
Page content last modified: 3 Jul 2003
