Here are a few snapshots of what people have said at different screenings:
Woodland Community College: “Very informative — I didn’t know about hijab and the different points of view, for instance that it’s a choice, not forced. I like that different ethnicities were used.”
San José State University: “I consider myself as a Muslim but I learn something new every day about my religion so it’s unfortunate we put a lot of pressure on converts to automatically be a ‘perfect’ Muslim.”
“I really gained insight on how many different variations of opinions there are within the Muslim community. In America, we never really take the time to understand people, and instead we are quick to label others that are different from ourselves. It was really cool to actually see how similar these women are to me: Arwa’s tomboy nature, Dian’s struggle with finding her identity, Nur Laura’s difficult past, and Masha’s fire within her to do what she feels is right. I feel like I am going to have so much more respect for Muslim women when I see them wearing the hijab because now I know some of the thought, struggle, and dedication that goes with it. These new thoughts that I have about Muslim women can be applied to my life because there are many people in my classes that wear hijabs. Now I will feel more obligated to hear their story and have more respect for all of these women because it truly is not just a piece of cloth, there is a real story, one that everyone should hear, under each piece of cloth.”
5th grade class, San José: The teacher, Fabio Coelho, used the film to supplement a unit they were doing on stereotypes. First he showed them photos of women wearing hijab and asked them what the women are wearing and why (see photo). Then, they discussed what stereotypes are and then they viewed the film. Students were asked to identify the stereotypes they heard about in the film. One student wrote, “People think Muslim women didn’t go to school, all girls love makeup and dolls, Muslim women don’t like to have fun, and women who wear the hijab are oppressed. These are stereotypes.”
