Taking off my hijab
I’ve decided to take off my hijab after years of hesitation . I chose to wear it myself when I was in middle school, my parents never pressured me into it. They only ever encouraged dressing modestly. But now I’m 23, and I’ve reached a point where I genuinely hate wearing it. It feels like I’m only keeping it on for my parents, and I cry almost every day because I don’t feel like myself or confident in my own skin.
When I told my mom, she was disappointed but said it was my choice. Then I told my dad. At first he said, “You’re old enough to make your own decisions. That’s between you and God.” Even though he looked disappointed, I was so relieved that he wasn’t forcing me.
The next day, after thinking about it, he completely changed. He tried to convince me not to do it, saying it would protect me from harassment, that people would see me as a “decent” woman, and that people would judge him especially since I just got a job in our city and will be living with them again. Those reasons feel very misogynistic to me, but I didn’t want to argue, so I just listened and said okay.
The problem is, I still can’t take it anymore. I want to bring it up again, but I’m scared. He said he wouldn’t be proud to be seen with me if I took it off, and I’m afraid that if I tell him I’ve made up my mind, he’ll get angry or start shouting. I love my dad, and having a good relationship with him means everything to me.
What should i do?