Hijabuppropet (The Hijab Appeal)

Social Media Solidarity with Veiled Women

On August 16th, a heavily pregnant Muslim woman was attacked in Sweden for wearing a veil. Following the attack, the hijab appeal was launched on Twitter, encouraging women of all faiths to wear a veil on the 19th August as a sign of solidarity to the assaulted woman. The appeal garnered immense media attention as thousands of women took to social media to post photos of themselves wearing a veil with the hashtag "#hijabuppropet", including television presenters and MPs. Some of the women who were behind the appeal were invited to discuss the issue of hate crimes with the Minister for Justice Beatrice Ask; the women advocated for a Government commission to regulate the manner in which police handle hate crimes against Muslims. The Hijab appeal raised awareness of the need to tackle intolerance toward Muslims. The unified action of thousands of social media users demonstrated respect for the beliefs and choices of others.