Salon Opens Hijab-friendly Space for Muslim Women

Offering services that cater to women who wear hijab, a Dallas top salon has created a safe space for Muslim women where they can remove their hijab freely.

Salon 5014 opened the new space for Muslim women in the second floor haircut specialist, Chi Selim, joined the team, NBC reported.

Selim, who markets herself online as a hijab-friendly hair professional, wears a hijab herself.

“I just started wearing mine about a year ago, which is what exposed me to other hijabs here,” Selim said.

Hoping to address the gap in the beauty industry for Muslim women, she said, “They expressed how it was difficult to find a professional hair salon.

“Even when they do find a salon that they can go and get their hair done, that they feel a little like discriminated against because they just throw them in a closet, don’t even shampoo them and just cut it.”

Hijabi Challenges

Iman Alfakih, a client of Selim’s, says she has been searching for a hijab-friendly hairstylist.

“Wearing the hijab in general is empowering for me. But when it comes to getting a haircut, there is definitely some challenges,” Iman Alfakih said. “Not only are you looking for quality, but also a specific environment.”

“I didn’t have to worry about my privacy because it was taken care of. All I had to do was book an appointment,” Alfakih said.

Selim hopes hijab-friendly salons will become a standard across North Texas.

“I do what I do to make people feel beautiful. And now I can, you know, help hijabis feel beautiful and included,” Selim said.

Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one’s affiliations.

Though this initiative of ‘Muslim women salon’ seems unique in Dallas, it is not the first in the US.

In 2019, Nefertiti Beauty  salon opened to cater to customers from Arab and Muslim communities in East Bay, California, many of whom wear the hijab.

SOURCE: https://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/n-america/salon-opens-hijab-friendly-space-for-muslim-women/