CAIRO - As soon as the month of Ramadan started, many young girls decided to dress more decently and wear a headscarf, before reverting to their old ways at the end of the holy fasting month. Some people call this the “Ramadan headscarf” or the “fasting headscarf”, pointing out that it is necessary to show piety towards God the whole year round, not just during the holy fasting month. Entertainer Mai Selim says that, after performing the Umra (Minor Pilgrimage), she prayed to God to help her persevere in wearing the hijab (headscarf). “I disagree with those women who only wear the headscarf during Ramadan then immediately whip it off afterwards,” she said in a recent interview. “The hijab is not only a head covering, but also a responsibility and commitment, so anyone who wears it should be really convinced that she wants to do so continuously,” Selim stressed, adding that her artistic activities don't exempt her from her commitments to Islam, such as reading the Holy Qur'an, praying, fasting and going on pilgrimage. Amna Nusseir, a famed Egyptian preacher and lecturer at Al-Azhar University, notes that a girl who just wears the headscarf during Ramadan is only worshipping God for one month every year. “Some girls think that fasting must be accompanied by their wearing the hijab. They don't want to lose God's reward, so they wear the headscarf, but just for the holy fasting month. They're being very selfish,” she says. Nusseir believes that any girl who doesn't wear the hijab, whether during Ramadan or the rest of the year, is weak in her faith. “Therefore, we have to encourage them to wear the hijab during the fasting month and to continue to do so forever. We should start with our own daughters,” she says. Over recent years, Egypt, a predominately Muslim country, has been swept by a wave of Islamism. Egyptian actress Mai Ezz Eddin recently said that wearing the hijab was not a game and that, if she started wearing it, she'd never take it off. Ragaa Hossam, a 19-year-old commerce student, admits that she dresses more conservatively in Ramadan because of the religious atmosphere. “I wear the hijab and dress more decently in Ramadan, but after the holy fasting month, I revert to my old dress code. My mother gets very cross with me, describing me as being weak in faith. I don't want to wear the hijab all the time without being convinced about it,” she says. Walaa Abdel-Rahman, a 24-year-old accountant agrees; she'd only start wearing the headscarf if she were convinced about it. “I wouldn't necessarily make that decision during Ramadan.”
