Several decades ago, it was rather uncommon for a young woman in Egypt to take up the highly observant lifestyle of wearing a hijab. Even in the countryside, where covering one’s hair was common among Muslim and Christian women alike – and even among men – it was seen as more of a custom than a religious act. But with the arrival of the 1970s, the Islamic veil became more and more commonplace; a sign of religiosity at times, and a social dress code for Muslim women at others. Nowadays, however, in an Egypt where wearing the hijab has become the default for a significant number of women, the choice to remove it has in many circles become the more controversial one. Although there is no statistical evidence to confirm it, there has been an identifiable wave of women taking off the hijab over the past few years that is unprecedented since its gradual surge over the decades. Egyptian Streets had the opportunity of speaking with three young women, Yasmine*, Maya*, and Lina, who removed their hijab, to learn about their unique journey on either side of this topic. The…
