Toddlers have begun wearing the hijab as Australian Muslims follow a global trend of younger children covering their hair.
While traditionally Muslim girls start wearing the hijab when they reach puberty, community leaders said younger children were choosing to follow the dress code of their sisters and mothers as they embraced their religion in the face of what they claim is growing Islamophobia.
Muslim community spokesman Keysar Trad said children were wearing the headscarf at a younger age in reaction to the Muslim community being “persecuted” in Australia.
“What it means is the more you persecute us, the more we will become closer to our religion, as we find faith in being a good Muslim not kowtowing to political bullying out there,” he said.
“I think as more and more people are finding their religious identity and taking pride in being a Muslim, they are starting to take the scarf a little more seriously and they are putting it on at a younger age and appreciating it.”
One of Mr Trad’s daughters chose to wear the hijab at the age of three, and another at four. [The Australian] Read more
