Suzy Ismail - Looking Beyond the Headscarf

About this lecture

In this lecture delivered during Islamic Appreciation Week, communication counselor and author Suzy Ismail challenges common Western misconceptions about Muslim women, drawing on Quranic verses, prophetic traditions, and the stories of iconic women in Islamic history — including Khadijah, Maryam, Hajar, and Fatima — to illustrate a tradition of strength, agency, and equality. She addresses the hijab not as a symbol of oppression but as a personal act of worship and obedience to God, rooted in the Islamic principle of modesty (*haya*), while also exploring broader questions about women's roles in society, the career-vs-family dichotomy, and the importance of partnership in marriage. The lecture concludes with a candid Q&A, including reflections from a non-Muslim student who wore hijab for a day as part of an interfaith awareness initiative.