Muslim women in New York mark World Hijab Day

A group of Muslim women took to the steps of New York’s City Hall on Friday to mark World Hijab Day, a worldwide advocacy campaign to help spread awareness about the hijab and Islam.

The campaign began in 2013, and in 2017, World Hijab Day became a nonprofit organization with a mission to fight discrimination against Muslim women through awareness and education, according to its official webpage.

The organization sets out every Feb. 1 to raise awareness about Muslim women who wear the headscarf, who frequently face discrimination for doing so.

"I went through a lot of discrimination growing up,” said Nazma Khan, the founder of World Hijab Day.

“The abuse was for many, many years. I don't want any other sister to go through actually what I went through," she added.

Khan, who came to the U.S. from Bangladesh at the age of 11, said she had a very difficult time in school being the only girl wearing a hijab, and that is why she wanted to help others understand why she wears it.

Khan marked the day on the steps of City Hall with other Muslim women who held signs saying "Hijab is Our Modesty and Dignity" and "Hijab is my privacy".

"It will bring awareness to people. People will be educated about the hijab, and hopefully, Inshallah, we will be able to reduce the discrimination against Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab," she said.

According to the organization's website, women in 190 countries take part in the annual World Hijab Day. In 2017, the state of New York recognized the celebration of the day and the UK House of Commons hosted an event commemorating the day.

But even though the campaign has been successful, Khan noted that hate is increasing as well.

"It's insane. The amount of hate you are getting is incredible. We did not have this five years ago, this much hate. Now, especially for the last two years, the hate has taken a different height.”

According to a study by the New America Foundation last year, the amount of "anti-Muslim activities" in the U.S. has been increasing over the last four years.