Swedish Women Don Headscarves in Solidarity

Stockholm: Swedish women have been posting photos of themselves in traditional Muslim headscarves in solidarity with a woman attacked apparently for wearing a veil. Among the protesters from various faiths were politicians and TV hosts. The “hijab outcry” campaigners urged the government to “ensure that Swedish Muslim women are guaranteed the right to religious freedom”. The victim was taken to the hospital after the attacker tore off her hijab and hit her head against a car recently. The assailant also shouted racist insults at the woman, who was pregnant, during the attack in a Stockholm suburb, the victim’s friends told Sweden’s media. Police are now investigating the incident. Using the hashtag #hijabuppropet (hijab outcry), a number of women across Sweden published pictures of themselves on Twitter and other social media websites. The campaigners said they wanted to draw attention to the “discrimination that affects Muslim women” in Sweden. “We believe that’s reason enough in a country where the number of reported hate crimes against Muslims is on the rise, and where women tie their headscarves extra tight so that it won’t get ripped off.