I'm astonished that they don't know.

So I just decided to upload a picture of me on my GaiaOnline profile, and for the heck of it, I started searching for threads discussing the hijab on GaiaOnline.

I found this thread and I'm quite surprised at how clueless people are when it comes to the hijab. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, since, well, no one can understand everything, but still. I'm kind of surprised.

So the thread's title was, "If I were a Muslim girl who has to wear a hijab..." and the poster says

"I would shave my head. What's the point of having hair on top of my head if no one can see it? I don't understand why Muslim girls who have to wear the hijab don't just shave off their heads."

And here are some of the replies (all from different users):

"Maybe they enjoy having hair, even if they have to cover it."

"Islam heavily promotes shaving. IDK why hair on the head would be excluded."

And then a genius pops in after googling something and says,

"Okay, according to this site, they can cut their hair but they can't shave it."

Then the conversation went on:

"I was just thinking about this and I would hate to be a Muslim girl, because I love to have long hair. I'd leave it long, longer than the hijab. ^_^ "

"In hot countries, the hijab is made of lighter stuff, so it'll probably just slide off. They probably love their hair."

"Yeah, it's weird, my sister wears the scarf and sometimes gets a haircut, and I ask her what's the point, no one will see it? She said they like to look nice since they don't wear the scarf at home."

And then of course an over-sensitive person who's not capable of a civilized discussion pops in and says,

"Wow, you people are so racist it isn't even funny! I wear a hijab and the point is to preserve my self-respect. RESPECT, something none of you have. Seriously, before you start trash-talking about a religion or culture, why don't you get your facts straight first and actually LEARN."

Then blah blah blah, some arguments over this and then there's this little exchange between two users:

"I'm a Muslim, but wearing the hijab is not required. It's a choice and having several cousins who do wear the hijab, they tell me they keep their hair to make them feel good about themselves and for their husbands. And when they're with other Muslim girls they can pretty much dress up sexily and do their hair and stuff."

"So Muslim girls who wear the hijab in public places can take it off when they're alone with other girls?"

"Yeah, pretty much, as long as there are no men. They can dress up like prostitutes, too, if they want."

And more questions and assumptions and opinions:

"Don't they take it off every so often? It would suck to keep wearing it while you sleep. I mean, damn."

"I think it's because they like their hair and they would feel weird without them..."

"(They don't shave it off) because they wanna feel pretty, like any woman does."

"IDK, I feel sorry for them when it's hot outside and they wear the hijab and the long dress thingy."

And then the thread dies. I wanted to put in my two cents, but the thread's been dead for a year now, so. Yeah. If I could say a word or two, though, I'd tell them that:

1. The concept of covering up in Islam doesn't only involve covering the hair. I think most of them in that thread doesn't understand this. Even if a Muslim woman shaves off her hair, she still has to wear the hijab to cover her bald head, neck, ears, etc. It's not the hair, it's the head, and, well, your entire body except your face and hands.

2. Muslim women can't shave their hair. Look what happened to Sharifah Amani the last time she was bald. I mean, srsly u gais, come on.

3. No, it's not optional. Who told you that? xD

4. No, we don't keep it on all the time, we take it off when we sleep, lol.

5. You can have long hair and still wear the hijab. I know a girl who once grew out her hair past her knees (kan sistel, kan kan kan~ xD).

So yeah. I'm just slightly amused right now~