Excerpt:
San Diego Mesa College allowed its Muslim Student Association to invite students of all religions to wear a hijab for a day during April 29 in order to raise awareness toward false Muslim stereotypes.
A hijab is a veil worn by Muslim women that covers their head and chest while in the presence of men outside of their immediate family as a form of modest attire. Due to false Muslim stereotypes that indicate the wearing of a hijab as oppressive toward women, The Muslim Student Association decided to hold an event that would deter these misconceptions of sexism. They elected to do so by providing female students with hijabs that they could wear all afternoon before meeting up in later that evening to discuss their experiences.
According to all the Muslim women who participated in this event, they primarily choose to wear the hijab to honor the will of "Allah" (Arabic term meaning "God") and for their own self-liberation. While these particular Mesa students said they don't judge those who do otherwise, these women would prefer to be known solely for their personalities and not for their bodies. Although Muslim men aren't asked to entirely cover up their bodies they are taught to lower their gaze when in the presence of another woman if they are already in a relationship , illustrating that both Muslim men and women are asked to carry out duties for their religion even if the duties aren't exactly same.