Hijab Design Contest Encounters Critics

Hijab is as American as bluejeans for Chicago human rights attorney Shaz Kaiseruddin.

Born and raised in Wilmette, she wore a head scarf as naturally as jeans from the age of 11.

That's one reason Kaiseruddin launched the American Hijab Design Contest last fall, challenging designers to create hijab styles that are as proudly American, and as open to personal expression, as Levi's or Nikes.

What we have here today is most women wearing an Arab-style scarf on top of American-style outfits," Kaiseruddin, 31, said. "Arabs have their style of hijab, Malaysians have theirs, Indians have theirs, but we haven't come up with a Western or American-looking style. I'm hoping to cultivate the creation of a cutting-edge, very American hijab style."

Kaiseruddin knew not everyone would welcome her efforts. Conservative activist Pamela Geller, executive director of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, denounced the contest on her blog Atlas Shrugs as "trying to make the hideous fashionable." Geller's supporters added vitriol in their comments.

In recent months, Geller's initiative has placed "defeat jihad" ads on Chicago buses and similar ads in New York subway stations. Some were in response to a "MyJihad" ad campaign from the Council on American-Islamic Relations. It's designed to destigmatize jihad with testimonials about what the Islamic concept means to Muslims. "My Jihad is to build friendships across the aisle," reads one of those ads, which can be seen on myjihad.org.

Undeterred by the criticism, Kaiseruddin is extending the deadline for contest entries; there were 70 registrants at last count. She hopes the contest will open minds and inspire similar contests around the world.

"I've always been interested in working for social justice but also have a great love for fashion," she said.

When big-name houses are asked why they don't design for Muslim women, a fashion market that Bloomberg says could be worth $96 billion, they sometimes respond that they don't know how, Kaiseruddin said.

"We're excited to make the unfamiliar familiar," she said.

Design entries must cover "everything but hands, face and feet, in a nonform-fitting and nonsheer manner," Kaiseruddin said. They also will be judged on "potential for popularity, creativity and American feel."