British Muslims flaunt ‘Poppy Hijab’ in support of armed forces

British Muslims are being encouraged to make a statement by wearing the new “Poppy Hijab,” designed to show support for the armed forces, the Daily Mail reported.

The scarf will be launched on Friday to mark the 100 year anniversary of the day a Muslim committed the act that earned him the Victoria Cross for bravery during WW1.

Khudadad Khan was a machine gunner in an Indian colonial regiment and fought in support of the British Expeditionary Force on the Western front.

Khudadad carried on firing his gun after five other men of his gun detachment were killed on October 31, 1914 in Hollebeke. He was subsequently awarded the top military award for gallantry by King George V in December 1914.

The aim of the poppy-covered hijab, which uses the common motif worn in button holes across the country to remember the fallen, is to divert attention from the “angry minority” of extremists who spout hatred, President of the Islamic Society of Great Britain Sughra Ahmed told the Daily Mail.

Ahmed added: “Thousands of British Muslims already wear a poppy in November. This is just another way for them to show they remember those who gave their lives for their country.

“It’s also a way for ordinary Muslim citizens to take some attention away from extremists who seem to grab the headlines.
“This symbol of quiet remembrance is the face of everyday British Islam – not the angry minority who spout hatred and offend everyone.”

The scarf was designed by 24-year-old Tabinda-Kauser Ishaq, a student at London’s University of the Arts.

According to the Daily Mail, she said: “I hope the poppy headscarf gives Muslim women a new way to mark Remembrance Day and to help raise money for the Poppy Appeal. It’s a simple way to say you’re proudly British and proudly Muslim.”