DAVAO CITY - The Bangsamoro Government on Monday joined the World Hijab Day in a gathering held at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex in Cotabato City.
In her speech during the occassion, Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Member of the Parliament Dr. Susana Anayatin shared the experience on discrimination of women who wear hijab.
"Ang pagsusuot ng hijab ng ating mga kapatid na kababaihang Moro ay malaon nang dumaranas ng iba't ibang pagsubok. lalo na sa mga syudad o lugar sa Visayas at Luzon, at maging sa ibayong dagat," Anayatin said.
She said some Moro women find it hard to look for jobs, enroll in universities, and to hail a taxi only because they were wearing hijab.
"May programa kami noon na nagpapadala ng mga Moro sa America. Pagkatapos naming makuha yung VISA nila sa US Embassy, naghintay kami ng taxi, antagal-tagal kasi naka-hijab sila (We have a program before where we send Moro to the United States. After getting their VISA from the US Embassy, we waited for a cab, but it took a while to get one because they were wearing their hijab)," she said.
"Sabi ko sa kanila, doon muna kayo ako na lang ang kukuha ng taxi kasi wala akong hijab (I told them, stay there, and I will get a cab, because I was not wearing a hijab)," Anayatin added.
Anayatin said on the other hand, women who wear hijab have played big roles in advancing for peace in the Bangsamoro.
"Sila yung mga ordinaryong maybahay o kabataan o mga CSOs, POs na masugid na nananawagan ng ceasefire o tigil-putukan o tama na ang gyera... Sila ang nangangalaga sa mga batang naulila dahil sa gyera (They were the ordinary housewives, youth, civil society organizations, people's organizations who fervently called for a ceasefire or to stop the war... They were the ones caring for the orphans because of war)," she added.
Meanwhile, Bangsamoro Attorney General Sha Elijah Dumama said
"the most empowering thing about wearing a hijab is that it is my choice and it makes me feel comfortable."
"There's a lot more in being a hijabi than wearing a scarf, wearing the hijab helped me unleash my true personality, not one who tried to fit in and blend with the world," she added.
"I am a proud hijabi woman, not forced, not compelled, not pressured. I am proud to have embraced Islam as away of life fully, but please, never allow wearing a hijab be a ticket to prejudice others who don't," Dumama said.