The Women’s Center and the Muslim Student Association hosted its annual discussion panel yesterday on Muslim women who decide to wear a religious veil.

The event featured a discussion panel where different Muslim women shared their experiences wearing the veil, and how they are perceived in society because of it. The featured speakers of the panel hope to erase the stereotypes of Muslims, often presented in the media, by continuing to educate N.C . State’s campus through these discussions.

 ”We have this event each year. Many people aren’t aware why we wear the veils. So the panel serves as a way to educate people. So they learn the reasons why we chose to wear them,” said Nadine Shehadeh , sophomore in chemistry.

The panel consisted of Muslim women from different backgrounds with unique stories to tell. The event also featured other female students on campus who volunteered to wear the veils for a day. This gave non-Muslim students the opportunity to experience what Muslim women go through on a daily basis.

The discussion panel speakers each discussed their personal experiences and also answered questions from the audience. Questions were given to the panel to create diverse information for everyone who attended. Some of the questions focused on personal perspectives of wearing the veil, but social influences were also incorporated.

Respect was a popular theme amongst the panel’s discussion.  Many of the women noticed the respect they gained by wearing their veils, and how their peers reacted positively to their personal decisions.

“I want people to know this is a choice, every girl has a choice. We aren’t being forced to wear these. We get many stereotypes that males make us wear the veils. But that’s not true. Muslim women have a choice. The veils are a symbol for the devotion to our religion,” said Shehadeh .

Verses from the Quran were also included during the discussion panel to give a better insight on why the featured speakers chose to wear their veils.  Devotion and dedication to their faith are ideas the four speakers were motivated by to step forward and wear their traditional garb.

 ”Although it is encouraged for Muslim women to start wearing the veil around puberty because we are responsible for all of our actions and choices at that moment, it’s ultimately preferred for them to wear it when they are comfortable to make that commitment to their religion,” Sarah Busaileh , senior in microbiology, said.

For students who are interested in having a chance to experience wearing a veil, the Women’s Center will be hosting a follow-up to ‘Behind the Veil.’ Participants will have the opportunity to wear veils, as well as receive more information regarding the topic.

“You can chose to wear the veil or not. We will talk about what it means, and how women and society view hair. You can receive a veil if you want to experience how it feels to wear it. There will also be discussions to give more information,” said Ashley Simons- Rudolph, director of N.C . State’s Women’s Center.

In conjunction with ‘Beyond the Veil, Meet Your Muslim Neighbor,’ an open house hosted by the Raleigh Islamic Center will take place Feb. 25 from 2 p.m . to 5 p.m . During the open house, everyone is welcome to take part in a tour of the local mosque and enjoy other showcases during the event.

For more information about the open house, visit www.mymuslimneighbor.org .