Hijab: Pakistan’s tradition, Türkiye’s struggle

Shabana Ayaz

World Hijab Day is observed every year on February 1. Yet in Pakistan, civil society groups often choose September 4 to mark the day. This is to honor the memory of Marwa al-Sherbini, an Egyptian woman murdered in a German courtroom in 2009 simply for wearing a hijab.

Al-Sherbini, a young mother and three months pregnant, was killed during an appeal hearing in Dresden. Her attacker, Alex Wiens, had previously harassed her for wearing a headscarf. She had testified against him for verbal abuse, and in court, he stabbed her to death. Her husband, who tried to protect her, was also stabbed multiple times and mistakenly shot by a police officer rushing to the scene.

For many in Pakistan, this tragedy symbolized the hostility Muslim women face when practicing their faith. Observing Hijab Day in September became a way to remember her and to reaffirm Muslim women’s right to modesty and identity.

Whether on February 1 or September 4, the observance highlights an enduring truth: hijab has never been just a piece of cloth. Across cultures and centuries, it has been a symbol of dignity, chastity, respect, and belonging.

In Pakistan, hijab is a religious and cultural tradition. In Türkiye, it has been a symbol of struggle and triumph. For both countries, hijab is not just clothing but an expression of faith, dignity, and identity. It is, at its heart, a philosophy and a way of life.

Since the creation of Pakistan, the ideological foundation of the state has been tied to Islam. Women have always enjoyed the freedom to observe purdah and hijab, and for generations, they have used it to preserve both their religious and cultural identity.

Each year since, the day has been marked with seminars, rallies, conferences, and awareness campaigns. Newspapers publish features, television channels host debates, and magazines dedicate pages to the subject. The message is consistent: hijab is not oppression, but a symbol of honor and Islamic identity.

In everyday life, Pakistani women from every background—students, doctors, teachers, lawyers, homemakers—wear the hijab. Some limit it to a headscarf, others adopt the niqab or full-body coverings. Either way, their choice is generally respected. Even in the face of Westernized critiques that dismiss hijab as outdated, the overwhelming majority of Pakistanis see it as the guardian of women’s dignity.

For Pakistan, then, hijab has been a tradition woven into the national fabric rather than a battleground. It has remained a personal, cultural, and religious choice, rather than a subject of state restriction.

Hijab in Türkiye: decades of struggle

The Turkish story is very different. When the Ottoman Caliphate fell and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk established the modern Turkish Republic, his lieutenants incorporated sweeping reforms to create a secular state. Religion was pushed out of public life, and hijab became one of the clearest casualties.

For decades, hijab was banned in public institutions, universities, and government offices. Women were forced to choose between education and their faith. Female students were barred from campuses if they wore headscarves. Some were denied entry to classrooms or even to their own exams.

The restrictions reached a dramatic peak in 1999. That year, a newly elected woman member of parliament, Merve Kavakci, arrived at the assembly wearing a headscarf. She was barred from taking her seat, sparking outrage among conservative and religious communities. The image of a democratically elected woman locked out of her nation’s parliament because of her hijab became one of the defining symbols of secular authoritarianism in Türkiye.

The ban was defended by secularists as a necessary safeguard for the republic’s identity. But religious and conservative groups resisted, arguing that denying women their right to wear hijab was itself undemocratic. For decades, Turkish women waged a silent, persistent struggle for the right to dress according to their faith.

The turning point came in the early 2000s, when a new political leadership, more aligned, began lifting restrictions. In 2012–2013, the ban was finally removed. Turkish women could now wear hijab in universities, public offices, and even in parliament itself.

For them, hijab became not only a religious practice but also a badge of resilience and victory. It symbolized decades of patient struggle against a state that had tried to erase their identity.

Pakistan and Türkiye: Two journeys

Today, Pakistan and Türkiye both stand as Muslim-majority nations where hijab is worn openly. Yet their paths to this point could not be more different.

In Pakistan, hijab has always been accepted, woven naturally into religious and cultural life. It was never politicized in the way it was in Türkiye. Civil society even institutionalized Hijab Day as an occasion to celebrate women’s dignity and Islamic identity.

In Türkiye, the hijab was politicized from the very beginning of the republic. It was banned, stigmatized, and policed. The women who wore it had to struggle, sometimes in silence, sometimes through protest, for their basic right to express faith. Their eventual success in 2013 made hijab more than tradition—it became the very symbol of victory over state oppression.

This is why in Pakistan, hijab is often seen as a continuation of faith and tradition. In Türkiye, it is remembered as a freedom reclaimed after long resistance.

Statistics highlight these differences. In Pakistan, hijab is common in both urban and rural areas, with most female students covering their heads. In Türkiye, after decades of bans, increasing numbers of young women now freely wear hijab in universities and professional spaces. Yet secular voices still describe it as a personal choice rather than a religious obligation, reflecting the country’s enduring divides.

It is also worth noting that Turkish hijab culture is distinct: the headscarf (başörtüsü) is the norm, while full-face veiling is rare. Pakistan, by contrast, reflects a broader range of practices, from simple headscarves to full niqabs, depending on regional and family traditions.

What ties the two stories together is resilience. Pakistan preserved hijab as a tradition. Türkiye reintroduced it after years of struggle. Both countries prove that hijab cannot be reduced to a piece of cloth. It carries meaning, faith, and identity that no political order can erase.

Globally, World Hijab Day is marked every February 1. Founded in 2013 by Nazma Khan, it is now observed in more than 140 countries. The idea is simple: invite women of all backgrounds to wear hijab for a day to encourage empathy, awareness, and understanding.

Some call it International Hijab Day. Others confuse it with International Purple Hijab Day, observed on the second Saturday in February to raise awareness about domestic violence. But for most, February 1 remains the date to recognize hijab globally.

Pakistan’s September observance does not conflict with this. Instead, it adds another layer of meaning, tying the tradition to Marwa al-Sherbini’s martyrdom and to the broader global struggle for Muslim women’s rights.

More than a headscarf

Hijab remains a vibrant, resilient tradition in the Muslim world. For Pakistani women, it represents faith and continuity. For Turkish women, it stands for resilience and triumph over state oppression. For Muslim women globally, it is a statement of dignity, identity, and connection to God.

This is why attempts to ban or stigmatize hijab never succeed in erasing it. A hijab is not merely fabric on the head. It is a worldview, a philosophy, and a way of life. It is dignity worn visibly, faith made manifest, and identity carried with pride.

Pakistan’s tradition and Türkiye’s struggle may have followed different paths, but they converge on the same truth: hijab belongs to Muslim women, and no force—political or cultural—has ever been able to take it away completely.

Author is a Pakistani journalist, based in Türkiye.