SZA Shares Fear of Wearing Hijab Following 9/11

One of the United States of America’s most intense tragedies occurred on September 11th, 2001. A day that would never be forgotten, terrorists would send aircraft through the World Trade Center located in New York City taking the lives of over 3000 individuals. Since the attack, certain individuals in America have treated religious Islam natives differently by judging and creating anti-Islam narratives that would circulate the media.

During a sit down with Muslim Girl, SZA shares why she was afraid to wear her hijab following the attack due to the negative connotations placed on Muslims.

“I stopped covering after Nine-Eleven because I was so scared. This was like elementary school, middle school,” SZA recalled. “I regret so much—like, being afraid or caring what people said about me, or in high school feeling like if I didn’t cover all the time that I can’t start covering some of the time.”

The “Good Days” singer then shares her experience once she began wearing her hijab again in public during her high school days. “And then they were like, ‘What is this? You don’t live your life properly. You’re not really Muslim. Shut up.’ I always let somebody dictate how I was.”

“I haven’t been a direct victim of Islamophobia in so long, only because I don’t cover,” she added. “I’m not being hyper-observant and I think that I want to be able to use whatever privilege to educate them so that they don’t do it to other people because it’s disgusting and really ignorant. I’m not grateful that I’m not receiving so much hate. If anything, I just want to really meet the vacuum to help other people who are experiencing it on an everyday level.”