 I remember one day my friend and I were going to pick up her little sister from school. On our way back, her little sister suddenly says, Are you having a bad hair day? And for a minute, I didn't understand what she meant. Believe me, I get plenty of weird questions thrown my way. But for some reason, when a seven-year-old asked me this, it didn't hit me. So I went, nope. She continued, Oh, so you have lice, right? My mommy checks for those all the time, it's really annoying. I laughed and replied, No, I don't. Finally, she spits out what she's trying to say. Why do you wear that on your head? I'm here to explain to everyone else who's curious if I have lice or not. I do not, for the record. This religious headscarf called the hijab is a sign of modesty. The word hijab comes from the Arabic word hijaba, meaning to conceal. In the Quran Islam's holy book, God asks men and women to observe their modesty for their own benefit, and that is why you may see many Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab in public. Aside from that, I wear the hijab, so I am identified as a woman who practices the religion of Islam. I take pride knowing that many of you could identify me as a Muslim as soon as I walked on stage, simply by the way I dress. The point of my hijab is to liberate me from society's ludicrous expectations and objectification of what women could and should look like. You know, blonde, unproportionally skinny, revealing the human Barbie. My hijab has helped me free myself from those unrealistic expectations, and I've granted myself the power to say to the world, you know what? I am much more than what you physically see. My appearance should be the last thing you notice in me. That in itself is an idea that redefines the standards of freedom. Let's be real, though. There are many women who love to doll up, including myself. All women like to feel beautiful, and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem comes when this is taken advantage of, and appearance is put above all other characteristics that women possess. When have we ever seen an ad about how women's intelligence makes her extremely attractive? You don't ever hear your ability to solve physics equations turns me on. My hijab reminds me, as an individual, that I want to be judged based on my personality and traits that make up who I am as a person before my appearance. Hijab is asking to be heard before seen. So no, I do not have lice. I don't shower with it on. And yeah, sometimes I have bad hair days. And it's 100% my choice. Contrary to popular belief, hijab doesn't mean oppression. In fact, it indicates the opposite. Hijab symbolizes power to women, not inferiority. All humans demand respect. And why should women be treated as mere objects, valued or devalued, based on their appearance? My name is Majeda, and I am what I like to call a proud hijabi. Thank you.