In honor of this year’s World Hijab Day, Pakistan Student Association president Narmeen Aamir (M.A.S. CPE 2nd Year) and Muslim Student Association president Hummad Haque (M.S. BME ’23) joined forces in early 2023 to launch a campaign aimed at capturing the thoughts and feelings of students who wear hijabs on campus.

With the collaborative efforts of both student organizations, Hijabis on Campus collected testimonials that not only highlighted the perspectives of Muslim women and their experiences with wearing a hijab on campus, but also the thoughts and perspectives of all students—regardless of gender and religion, or whether they wore a hijab or not.

Dozens of students attended the World Hijab Day event put on by both organizations, where Aamir had the opportunity to talk to more than 50 students and collect 10 testimonials from attending students.

“The responses were really good,” said Aamir. “The people who were wearing hijabs were like, ‘We feel safe, good, and encouraged.’ And that’s one thing I love about Illinois Tech. They encourage you so much, even if you have different values.” 

Aamir added how many students who do not practice Islam shared their thoughts as well, describing a deep appreciation for the culture and customs attached to the religion.

“It’s really nice to live in such a diversified environment where people respect your values and let you be who you are,” Aamir says.