Asmaa Abdol-Hamid is a Danish Muslim of Palestinian origin. In 2006 she became the first TV presenter to wear hijab in Denmark. Her decision caused a lot of debate, with some people praising her for strengthening gender equality, and others saying her attire was an 'insult' to women. Read more
here. But Asmaa is also involved in politics. In 2007, she decided to run for the Danish parliament, and is listed as seventh on the Red-Green Alliance’s parliamentary candidate list. However, many of those opposed to her in Denmark are claiming that she is using her role as a 'tool of Islamism', as discussed in
this article.
This is what she says about the hijab:
"Wearing a headscarf does not mean that I’m oppressed or deprived. The values on which I live my life are Islamic and not Arab. It is important to make a distinction between religion and culture. In many respects, the Arab way of thinking discriminates against women; even though I am an Arab, I don’t make my choices on a cultural basis, but in the light of my religion."
You can read more of Asmaa's story here.
