Does My Head Look Big In This?

During my freshman orientation here at Western as we were walking the campus we passed a Muslim woman.  Having always lived in Kalamazoo and having ben on campus many times starting back when I was just a toddler, this was not my first time seeing a Muslim woman on campus, and I had learned early in my life that this was a part of someone's lifestyle and I should be respectful.   This woman was completely covered up in a pale pink scarf, with matching long sleeved shirt and pants made of this flowing material.  All you could see of her were her eyes.  I remember thinking that she was beautiful...

And then one of the boys in my group yelled out to her "What the hell?!  It's summer, what are you wearing? "  Our group leader told him to be quiet, and he proceeded to whisper to all of us, "she looks like a clown."  

God, just telling this story still makes my blood boil.  I told you this story because it shows the horrible lack of respect and understanding that many American teens and adults have for Muslim women.  I felt that in reading Does My Head look Big In This we got our first good look at the ignorance of many westernized people towards those women who choose to wear the veil, and got our first inside look at a woman (or girl) under the veil while living in western society.  I loved seeing the normalcy and humanity of Amal, the way that she felt so passionate about wearing the veil and the pride she held in knowing that it was more than a fashion statement, it was a symbol of devotion to her God.  It makes me wonder if the woman what the woman we saw on campus that summer was thinking.  I had assumed she would be embarrassed and sad, and who could blame her?  But now I wonder if on top of that she might have experienced a moment of pride for representing her faith and enduring the torment of those who do not understand it.

I really enjoyed this book, it was kind of a rest for our brains and I have a soft spot for the drama of teen literature.  I think that even though the material was not as heavy as what we had previously read, it effectively took us into the mind of a modern Muslim girl and gave us a priceless view of the ignorance that many westernized people posses when it comes to Middle Eastern religion and culture.  To me this novel really communicated that, yup, there is a human being under that veil, and they are very much the same as you and me.