What is it really like wearing the Hijab?

Tanzeel Akhtar spoke to Author Randa Abdel-Fattah about the launch of her new book Does my head look big in this?' and why it might strike a chord with young Muslim women in Britain.

Does my head look big in this?' tells the story of Amal an Australian Muslim teenage girl growing up in Melbourne, who one day decides out of the blue to wear a hijab to school.

Even though Amal a Muslim wears the hijab, underneath it she is still your typical teenager.

Not only does she face the dilemma of combating unwanted spots, dealing with silly boys, bitchy class mates and lovesick, weight-obsessed friends.

She attracts much unwanted attention by choosing to wear the hijab.

The book is written by successful lawyer Randa Abdel Fattah who is of Australian, Egyptian and Palestinian origin. She says she hoped the book would be read by a wider audience helping them understand the discrimination many young women may face. "My motivation was to write for a non Muslim audience because I felt that they were the ones who needed to be educated about Islam.

A barrage of negative headlines and the demonisation of Islam was an inspiration for the book. In the book the character is called among other things nappy-head', 'tea-towel head' and camel jockey'.

Overall the novel is light and witty without being preachy giving many young Muslim women the courage to wear the hijab with their heads held high.

"I felt that most people don't have an introduction to Islam and Muslims other than through headlines about terrorism or oppressed Muslim women.

"I wanted readers to enter the world of your average teenage Muslim girl growing up in a Western society in the context of war on terror.

"And appreciate that she goes through the same issues of adolescence as they do and she's a normal human being.

"But she has the added burden of living as a walking stereotype. I wanted to really empathise with that position and understand how hard it is."

Randa feels the story will go down well with Young Muslim women in Britain despite the story being set in Australia.

"In Australia it has been a success with Muslims and none Muslims and I am hoping it will be the same here.

"It is not necessarily an Australian experience it is an experience of a Muslim in a western society."

"I spoke at a school recently in Britain which had a large Asian community and one of the girls was saying that it validated her experience and she said she connected with the character in the book."

In contrast to the character in the book Randa herself does not wear the hijab. She was keen to stress that this had no real relevance to her own experiences as a child.

"I made the decision to take it off while I was in high school and it was because I had friends who were highly educated and qualified and could not find work because they wore the hijab.

"I needed to compromise that aspect of my religion in order to pursue my career goals and revisit the hijab when I am not in such a vulnerable position employment wise.

"It was a difficult decision but I felt I could do more for my faith and my community as a lawyer then as someone who is a victim of discrimination.

"It is hard being a Muslim in any job when there are so many stereotypes.

"The main thing is to make sure your comfortable about the decision and that you do it for no other reason not to please anybody else but for the relationship with God.

"And once you make that decision to be proud of it and to also realise that you are on display 24 hours a day as a walking symbol of Islam."

Randa aims to break the stereotypes and misconceptions created about Muslim women who wear the hijab.

They are not all forced or oppressed. Just because the character chooses not to date and drink does not make her inhuman or an alien.

Peer pressure is another problem young Muslim women growing up in a Western society face.

"I have actually met girls who have started wearing the hijab after reading my book.

"They felt inspired by Amal's character and confidence and others said they were not alone in the prejudice and that it's ok to get through it."

Does My Head Look Big in This? By Randa Abdel-Fattah is published by Marrion Lloyd Books. And is available in all good book shops.