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About HijabMan

by HijabMan :: posted 7 June 06

Idthkar Allah, “Remember God” commands the graffiti at the end of one of the tunnels that ease the passage from Al-Azhar mosque to Khan al-Khalili bazaar. I used to crave those tunnels, despite their eerie feel. They provided both a cool refuge from the sweltering Cairo summer as well as recording studio-like acoustics for the blind Qur’an reciters who sat in them. The recitation of the revelation would embrace me each time I passed through. It was hard to let go until the day I looked up and found a reminder. Idthkar Allah.

My name is not HijabMan, but you can call me that. The ultimate purpose of this site is as a form of worship, a form of thanks to God. It is a way of reflecting upon the sights I see (photos), my experiences with people (journal), and my life in general (this site as a whole). Criticism is always welcome, just be respectful.

I’ve mentioned in the past that I wished to be an Imam of a mosque, and so I began on that path, deciding to live in Syria (with all of the HijabMan profits I had reveived thus far) for a little bit, in search of some sacred knowledge. If you can call self-knowledge sacred, well then that is what I found. I thought a lot about what I would be best suited for. We all have our own battles right? And we all have been blessed with a different set of skills to struggle through those battles. And so throughout my time in the Middle East, and traveling across North America selling HijabMan products, I’ve come to the conclusion that my abilities are more suited for being a Muslim Chaplain… and/or a preacher or, to use the Arabic, a da’iy…or one who invites [to God]. And while doing that, I am pursuing several personal projects.

This is the point in which the photography, the shirts, this web site, and my own persona come in. I love taking pictures. And I’d love to flood the public space with images that counteract the images we see of Muslims in the mainstream (*cough* corporate) Western media. For more on the photos, check out the gallery. The shirts are just another medium through which I hope to make people think beyond what they are normally taught. They are meant to contradict the messages we receive everyday. One displays quite shockingly to some, (both muslims and others) “This is what a radical Muslim feminist looks like.” Another proclaims, “My name causes national security alerts. What does yours do?” I’ve also begun selling other products, including unisex scarves, mugs, and soon, I’ll be making a lip balm in my kitchen. While some of my products may not have an obvious message, they all help me get the message out. Or in some cases, they are sending a message, that you don’t see. For instance. I hope to convert all of my shirts to sweatshop free shirts in the coming months. Again, it’s just another facet of the same message. A message of consciousness, of justice, of living a life free of people and institutions that exploit others.

You may use my writings, if proper credit is given to me with a link back to hijabman.com. If you do happen to use one, let me know. I’d be curious to know where it has been. Please do not use the photographs. With that, I’ll let you go and explore. Peace.

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