I'm scared. You might be carrying a gun under your veil," said a University student when Women's Studies Professor Farzaneh Milani decided to wear a traditional Iranian chador to class in the spring of 1994.
But Milani cradled no gun under her veil - in fact, she doesn't even own one.
"I was sure she was joking," Milani said. "Soon, however, to my utter dismay, I realized she was not. She was serious and frightened too. By donning the veil, I became the image, the fabricated presence of a terrorist, gun-toting Muslim woman."
But while Milani's experience was unnerving, most Muslim students report that such discrimination is rare in the University community.
On Grounds, only a handful of Muslim students cover their heads with scarves. Like other students, they eat in Newcomb, study at Clemons and Alderman libraries and chat with friends while hurrying to morning classes. And yet, in the midst of day-to-day life, these students practice a tangible ritual that allows them to remember their Muslim faith: hijab.
Hijab stems from the Arabic word "hajaba," which means to cover from or to conceal. But to Muslims, the meaning of hijab surpasses its definition. "Islam is not just a religion for Muslims," said fourth-year College student Salama Abdurrahim, who has chosen not to wear hijab. "This means that for many Muslims, it is important to represent that way of life on the exterior as well as on the interior - which means dressing in ways that illustrate to others that you are a Muslim."
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But Sara Siddiqi, also a fourth-year College student, started wearing hijab after she entered the University and set aside time to discover its meaning for herself.
"It isn't as easy as wearing an Allah pendant or a cross or a Star of David on a necklace around my neck or going to church on Sundays," she said. "It is a constant reminder to me and others that I am Muslim."
And for Religious Studies Professor Aziz Sachedina, a leader in the local Muslim community, hijab represents personal identity and piety.
"It's a question of identity," he said. "Muslim women wear hijab for the same reason Muslim men grow beards. It's a personal commitment to follow the Koran in its guidance about personal modesty."
Especially since Sept. 11, television images of seemingly faceless Afghan women cloaked in blue, head-to-toe burkas have flooded into American households.
Muslims such as first-year Engineering student Ahson Wardak worry that some Americans inherently might associate hijab with female oppression.
"Hijab is becoming a women's rights icon for third-world women," he said.
For most Muslims, however, the veil remains a prominent symbol of their faith, not a means for subjugation. Moreover, the practice of veiling actually predates Islam, Milani said. Instead, it was the Judeo-Christian tradition that encouraged veiling hundreds of years earlier.
"What is the western image of a nun?" asked Rezaur Rahman, a first-year Engineering student. "I don't think the image of a Muslim woman wearing the hijab should be any different."
And while the notion of hijab evolved from the Koran, some Muslim women such as Abdurrahim have chosen not to practice hijab for personal reasons.
"My decision to not wear hijab is not based on Koranic interpretations, but on by own personal beliefs," she said. "I have great respect for women who do choose to wear hijab because it is not always easy and it takes strength." Abdurrahim, whose mother and sister both wear hijab, still dresses conservatively, though. "I do try to dress modestly, because the Koran requires that both men and women dress modestly."
The notion of simple dress in Islam also involves men.
"I'm sure you've seen Middle Eastern men in their traditional clothing. You can only see their face, palms and feet. The aspect of modesty applies to men as well," Rahman said.
Sachedina emphasized an important difference between simply veiling and adopting modest dress.
"The Koran speaks more about modesty - that's hijab," he said. "This is applied to men - they must dress modestly too."
For Siddiqi, the significance of hijab supercedes the importance of appearance.
"It's more than just a head covering that promotes modesty and curbs vanity - it could be a cultural idea to some, but for me, it is actually the opposite. It is Islam transcending culture," she said.
In turn, many Muslim men interpret hijab as a symbol of respect for women. "I, as a Muslim, regardless of gender, believe that hijab is an obligation. I just know I respect a woman a lot more with hijab than without," Wardak said.
Others view hijab as a mechanism that discourages undesired sexual advances.
"It sends a kind of message to men which they can't ignore," Rahman said. "I think the hijab averts unwanted looks or jeers which I think gives women a sense of security."
Sachedina said that only in sporadic instances do Muslim families actually pressure females into wearing hijab.
"But that is very rare here," he said of forced veiling in the U.S.
And Siddiqi reiterated that hijab is a personal choice.
"None of the men in my family have ever forced or even suggested hijab to me," Siddiqi said.
Abdurrahim also believes that hijab has the ability to liberate women when worn voluntarily.
"It is liberating because these women have decided that the hijab is the best way for them to express who they are as Muslims and women," she said.
Some discrimination toward Muslims wearing hijab - however infrequent - still exists in Charlottesville.
But Sachedina, who has taught at the University for 25 years, said he has noticed a degree of improvement in how area residents view Muslims who practice hijab.
"In the early days, since the community was small, it was difficult for women to observe hijab," he said. "I do recall my wife, who wears hijab, went for a job interview, and they said to her, 'will you remove this?'- that is, the hijab. She said no. They didn't ask her back. But there is more acceptance and awareness now, although some discrimination goes on in offering jobs to Muslim women wearing hijab."
And the growing commercialism around hijab bears witness to its rising presence - on-line hijab fashion centers and Web sites providing instructions on how to make "home-made" hijabs dot the Internet.
Like other clothing, manufacturers create hijabs in a multitude of patterns and colors. Some Muslim women prefer simplicity when choosing a hijab, while others wear more elaborate designs.
Siddiqi wears black for practical reasons, though she intends to experiment in the future.
"I have a really awful sense of style, so black is the easiest choice," she said. "I do, however, want to show that one can have fun with modesty. Nowhere does it say we must wear ugly, sad colors."
She emphasized that hijab does not automatically make one a "good Muslim." "Some of the best people I have known and know are not hijabis," she said.
Milani stressed that people should reject stereotypes about Muslims who wear hijab.
"One out of every five women on the face of this earth today is Muslim," she said. "In view of such diversity, how could one talk about a typical Muslim woman?"
Siddiqi treasures being able to express her religion in such a unique way.
"It can be hard, but it is an incredibly rewarding experience," she said.
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