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Unveiling the Veil is an annual event hosted by the MSA (Muslim Student Association) at Georgia Technical College, in Atlanta, GA. This year’s event took place between March 3rd and March 9th. The event is open to Muslims and non-Muslims to gain awareness and help people understand the reasons why hijab is worn. This year we had the privilege of having some of the attendees write about their experiences at the discussion held on Wednesday, March 9, 2016.

Below are some of the comments we received:

"I only attended the discussion panel this evening. It is the first time for me to attend such a conversation. I feel like Muslims are like someone who has a super fancy expensive car (e.g. Ferrari) and ALL the others are looking for that car. Nevertheless, that Muslim is keeping his Ferrari hidden, down in a garage. We need, as Muslims, to take that Ferrari out of the garage and enjoy the fact that we have such a super car. If we keep it hidden, we are the losers, as the Ferrari will fall apart over time, while someone else, driving just a cart, will have won the race. But, before we drive the Ferrari out of the garage, we should know VERY WELL how to drive and obtain a certified license. Keeping a Ferrari down in the garage is worse than having a road accident. " -Ali Abdelhafiz

"I really enjoyed Unveiling the Veil this year! At the tabling events, we had lots of different people come and talk about hijab and Islam, and I think everyone left the event knowing a little bit more about hijab, whether they were non-Muslims asking about it or Muslims talking about it. For myself, being hijabi, it gave me a chance to think about why I wear hijab again and renew my intentions, as I do every now and then, but I was also able to discuss my passion for hijab with people who are not as familiar with it. At the discussion portion of the event we had the same sort of theme of learning about hijab, regardless of who you were. We had many different types of people attend the discussion: Muslim women who wear the headscarf, Muslim women who don't, Muslim men, a non-Muslim man, and a Jewish woman. Based on the diversity of people at our event, we talked about lots of different topics pertaining to hijab, and learned about everyone's different perspective on it. It was a very rich discussion and everyone really enjoyed it." *-Amber Akbar, 2nd year GT student, currently serving as communications head on the GT MSA Board

"I thought it was interesting that there was so much about the headscarf that others did not know. I guess I just assumed people would know that I do not wear it at home or around my family; however, looking back, how can I expect them to know unless I tell them? I think this experience will enable me to share my thoughts and beliefs in a manner that can be understood easily by people of other faiths. Also, I found it really nice that people of other faiths were so genuinely curious and interested in understanding our culture and our religion. It was refreshing. It also made me want to put more effort into learning about the way other people of all different cultures, religions, and backgrounds live their lives. I would love to eliminate some of my own ignorance. " -Arsh Momin, 2nd year student at GT

"Unveiling the veil provided a truly enlightening discussion about the choice of wearing a hijiab in America. I encourage anyone, regardless of race or gender, to participate or attend future open table events concerning Islam. I personally found the diversity of the community and the interpretations of Islam interesting and mind opening." -Clarence Chang, GT student

"My name is Leah Givarz, and I am a second year student at Georgia Tech. I grew up in a fairly traditional, while not intensely religious, Jewish home. I did not know very many women who wore the hijab until I came to Georgia Tech. At first, I assumed it was because of our large international population. However, I quickly learned that a lot of the hijabi women were American just like me, and that this is a fairly common practice for Muslim women all around the world. It was very interesting to hear the stories of why my friends and classmates have made this decision. I was also intrigued by how similar this is to the kippah, the Jewish head covering that males wear. This, among many other events, are very enlightening and will hopefully help the world to see Islam in the positive light that so many of its followers are a beautiful part of. " -Leah Givarz, 2nd year GT student, GT Hillel President

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