YOUNG MUSLIM WOMEN WEAR AUSSIE HIJAB (21/3/06, The Age)


Sadia Ali, 20, knows her Australian flag headscarf might be confronting to some Australians, but that’s the point.
The Somali-Australian was one of five young women from refugee families who nervously modelled the “Australian hijab” on the streets of Northcote in Melbourne for Tuesday’s national Harmony Day.
Since the Cronulla riots, she had felt more fearful on the streets in general, Sadia said.
But she would not let that stop her using the powerful symbol to grab attention and make people aware that her dual identities as Muslim and Australian could happily co-exist.
Sadia said the Aussie flag had been hijacked and used as a symbol of division during the Cronulla riots, “to make it look like it’s theirs, not ours”.
“But the flag represents the whole nation,” she said.
“Everyone has the right to carry the Australian flag and be proud of it.
“I just wanted to show the Australian public that I’m a Muslim and Australian, I don’t want the two to be divided.”
Harmony Day, which coincides with the United Nations International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination, encourages Australians to appreciate our multicultural society and recommit to common values of universal respect and goodwill.

Twelve-year-old Idil Mohamud, who was born in Australia to Somali parents, said she was aware of negative attitudes towards Muslims in Australia, but had never personally suffered racism.

“Australia is very tolerant of different countries and cultures – only a minority are racist, not a majority,” she said.
“I don’t think about it much.”
Sadia said she hoped the trend of wearing a flag hijab caught on, while Idil said she would wear the flag again on special occasions, such as sporting events.
“Just because I’m Muslim doesn’t mean I can’t use the flag as a symbol,” she said.