Bella Hadid supports hijab-wearing Muslim women saying 'it's no one's decision but theirs'

Supermodel shared a series of posts to Instagram to raise awareness of the 'abuse' Muslim women face for wearing head coverings

Bella Hadid called on leaders in several countries to end discriminatory laws that prohibit the wearing of the hijab. Getty Images

Bella Hadid has spoken out in the hopes of raising awareness of the discrimination Muslim women face for wearing the hijab.

The supermodel, who is part-Palestinian, shared a series of powerful Instagram posts on Thursday, highlighting the issue to her 49 million followers.

Under one of the images, which was taken as part of a Jacquemus campaign and shows seven Muslim women dressed in brightly coloured outfits, Hadid wrote: “Although different forms of the hijab and head coverings are starting to make an appearance in fashion, let’s still remember the daily struggle, abuse, and discrimination Muslim women face on a regular basis because of their faith and what they stand for.

"To each woman’s body, stand their own opinion on what they should do with it. That is no one’s decision except for theirs.”

She said that while the hijab is starting to make more of an appearance in the world of fashion, she wants people to remember the garment’s origin and why it is so important to Muslim women.

“I have seen first-hand, the discrimination that people of colour and Muslim people face on a regular basis in fashion. I know many of my Muslim sisters have faced unfair projections of others. It’s biased, prejudiced and straight up racist.”

She continued that while it is “not her place” to say what is right or wrong when it comes to head coverings in fashion or to speak on the behalf of hijab-wearing women, it’s important to highlight the “abuse” many Muslim women in fashion still suffer.

“Stand up for your Muslim friends. If you see something, say something.”

The photo was taken by French model Taqwa Bint Ali, a close friend of Hadid’s.

“She said to me ‘I remember I decided to do this shoot because I never saw pictures of Muslim women smiling and colourful. I needed so much to create these images’,” Hadid wrote.

She also shared a post in support of Hoda Al-Jamaa, the New Zealand schoolgirl, 17, who had to be taken to hospital after three other students allegedly ripped her off hijab and beat her, earlier this month.

“It makes me angry and sick to my stomach,” Hadid wrote.

“We need to change this mindset of immediate judgement. Teach our friends, children, parents, families that wearing a hijab, being Muslim, or being anything other than white in general, does not equal being a threat or different than anyone else.”

In a third post shared by the model, 26, she called on leaders in France, India, Quebec and Belgium to end “discriminatory” laws that prohibit the wearing of the hijab and other religious coverings.

The posts come as protests continue in Karnataka, India, after six teenage girls were banned from wearing the hijab in the classroom of their government-run college.

In France, a new law that would prohibit the wearing of “religious symbols”, including the hijab, during sports competitions, was approved by the French senate in January.

The ban, proposed by the right-wing group Les Republicans and opposed by Emmanuel Macron’s government, was approved with 160 voting in favour and 143 voting against.

France’s National Assembly will now decide whether to approve the draft bill after the French Senate declined to vote on the legislation this week.

“I urge France, India, Quebec, Belgium, and any other countries in the world who are discriminatory against Muslim women, to rethink what decisions you have made or are trying to make in the future about a body that is not yours,” Hadid wrote.