Malaysian activist fights for right to go hijab-free, as Singapore debates headscarf discrimination
- Maryam Lee received death threats after writing a book about why she chose to stop wearing a headscarf in Muslim-majority Malaysia
- Meanwhile, Singapore is confronting its own debate about the hijab, with an online petition against a ban by some professions on wearing the headscarf
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Activist fights for right to not wear hijab headscarves in Muslim-majority Malaysia
Most people in Muslim-majority Malaysia follow a moderate form of the religion and wearing a headscarf is not mandatory.
But observers say the nation has become more conservative in recent years and today most Muslim women wear one, known locally as a “tudung” and used to cover the head and neck.
Maryam, who was made to wear a headscarf from the age of nine, says she realised in her mid-20s that she was conforming to a social expectation rather than a religious requirement and decided to remove it.
“All my life, I had been told that [wearing the headscarf] is mandatory and if I don’t wear it, it’s sinful. And then I found out that it actually wasn’t, so I felt very cheated – like all your life you’ve been told one thing, and it turns out to be a lie,” she explained.
