Muslim woman says people friendlier when hat, scarf cover hijab

BY FRANCINE KNOWLES Religion Reporter February 11, 2014 8:47PM

Leena Suleiman wears a knit hat and scarf, which cover her hijab a head scarf worn by Muslim women on Tuesday. She found that non-Muslims were friendlier to her when they couldn't see the hijab. | Chandler West/For Sun-Times Media

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Updated: February 12, 2014 2:22AM

A Muslim womans effort to deal with Chicagos brutal cold by covering her head with warm winter gear inadvertently concealing her hijab produced unanticipated and thought-provoking results.

Leena Suleimans online posting about her experience which included suddenly getting more friendly treatment from non-Muslims and getting the cold shoulder by members of her faith was among the top stories Monday morning on website Reddit.coms TrueReddit and Chicago Reddit.

I didnt understand what was happening at first, Suleiman, 25, who works as an architectural designer downtown, said in a post titled I Took Off My Hijab, on her blog, Facetruth, at http://bit.ly/1lza4tH.

Non-Muslim people started talking to me more. Women would speak to me like I knew them since forever. Men looked at me like I was actually approachable. And I was made to feel like I was actually from this planet, she wrote.

Meanwhile, Muslim taxi drivers, who previously typically greeted her warmly and on occasion wouldnt even let her pay, were far less friendly.

Im used to going in [taxis] with my hijab showing, and immediately theyre smiling and asking me where Im from . . . if Im single, she said in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times. If its an older man, hes very fatherly, very nice . . . we have like a full conversation.

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Muslim woman says people friendlier when hat, scarf cover hijab