"Take Off Your Hijab! This is Korea"

Despite the fact that there must be back-door talks about the detestation concerning the influx of hijab-wearing Muslim women (tourists, migrant students, migrant workers) coming to Korea, I personally want to disregard or overlook this fact by instilling a belief into my mind that all of the suspicion and hatred only occur due the perception or misconception about these women.

In fact, the throngs of hijab-wearing tourists from Southeast Asian countries (notably Malaysia and Indonesia) and from the Middle Eastern countries can be seen in Myeongdong, Hongdae, Gangnam, Dongdaemun, for instance. They have partly shaped and brought about the changing perception of Korean society about the "moderateness" of hijab-wearing Muslim women. 

I mean, "Come on, if they are the oppressed women---as one might have perceived--, then, how can they travel to Korea and embark themselves in the shopping spree for K- cosmetics, K-Pop stores, etc?"--See, my point?

I just want to assert the fact that it has been a common sight to see the hijabers thronging and marching about their shopping spree in the tourist areas across Seoul. Even public transportation is no exception as a place to spot hijab-wearing Muslim women from around the world in Korea.

To add up an even interesting twist of this seemingly (?) changing perception, Korean Muslim women also began their (probably unintended) journeys of being celebrities---at least in the eyes of other Muslim foreigners. I could point out four (currently) famous Korean hijabers who have partly changed the way Muslim foreigners perceive Korean Muslim society through the perspectives of hijab-wearing Korean young women. They are Song Bora (IG: olaborasong), Ayana Jihye Moon (IG: xolovelyayana), Kang Nayeon (IG: safiyakang), and Kim Miso (IG: kimmiso1194). 

The thing that ticks me is that they are highly famous among the circles of foreigners and maybe (correct me if I am wrong) have yet to find its strong-base among Korean younger generations. I am sure they have done their best to promote inter- religious dialogues, inter-cultural dialogues, and cross-cultural understandings that are so desperately needed in Korea in terms of this country's need to put more awareness about Islam into the wider members of its society. 

And, I suppose that is the reason as to why they set up their social media accounts. I just hope that what these Korean hijabers have been doing could spark a positive vibe among Korean society about Islam and trigger a more positive attitude from Korean society so as to prevent any awkward and unwanted happenstance as experienced by my wife---to say the least---and also to prevent such happenstance to ever occurring (again) towards the keep-coming Muslim travelers around the world to Korea.

I want to end this talk by once again stating my belief that what happened and (is) happening is all about perception. Things that are naturally contrastive and out of ordinary in the masse could easily be perceived differently by others. My wife wearing a hijab on hot summer day could easily be spotted on and thus being perceived differently by her surroundings. Likewise, I myself still cannot understand as to why some (remember: some, not all) Korean women still dare themselves to wear miniskirts in the cold winter. 

I remember this occasion when I saw one and I could not help but said to myself by trying to discern what I just saw. The why-oh-why thoughts kept me awake and made me pondering her reasons. On that particular moment, I perceived her differently. The difference is that, I did NOT approach her and blatantly asked her to cover up---for that would be unthinkable^^!

What I want to convey is that we perceive others based on what we commonly xperienced in our own society. We judge people based on what we learned or grew accustomed with in our life. Just like how the concept of beauty is differently perceived and conceived in different cultures, I tried to use this understanding by trying to understand as to why some ajumma approached my wife and asked her as to whether she was not feeling hot; as to why she was wearing a hijab in the first place; as to why she was not taking it off, etc. Initially, their inquisitives and curiosities did make her upset (and me, of course), but then; as we come to live in Korea for quite some time, we have come to understand their standpoints and perspectives.

Perception goes both ways. As some of the Korean society members perceive hijab-wearing Muslim women in the way they currently understand it; at the same time, these Muslim women (read: Muslim foreigners in Korea in a larger context) also perceive these member of society as individuals who may not have been exposed to the different faades of cultures. Perception can also change. Perception towards others can shift as people change through time and so can the perception of (some) Korean society members towards the hijab-wearing Muslim women in Korea.