GAP's Latest Back To School Campaign Features A Young Girl In Hijab And Some Twitter Users Don't Like It

Image: GAP

GAP's latest back to school campaign features a smilling young girl wearing a hijab and some Twitter users don't like it.  Hamdia Ahmed, shared the message and pictures below on Twitter:

The following tweets surfaced in her replies:

We found those replies very funny because we were thinking, is the reason for this not obvious???

GAP obviously wanted to feature a Muslim kid in its campaign, there is no very obvious way to identify a Muslim except through the hijab for females and through the beard, for males. Most young boys don't grow beards, so the easier option is to go with a young girl and adorn her with a hijab which immediately signifies to the onlooker that, this girl is a Muslim.

If betting or gambling is not haram in Islam, we would be very willing to bet that, that young girl featured in that advertising campaign does not wear the hijab everyday except maybe to the Islamic school or Mosque for Arabic or Quranic lessons and for friday prayers.

Qur'an: 2: 219:

"They ask you about wine and gambling. Say: 'In them both lies grave sin, though some benefit, to mankind. But their sin is more grave than their benefit."

Qur'an: 5: 90-91:

O believers, wine and gambling, idols and divining arrows are an abhorrence, the work of Satan. So keep away from it, that you may prevail. Satan only desires to arouse discord and hatred among you with wine and gambling, and to deter you from the mention of GOD and from prayer. Will you desist?"

If the school she attends is an Islamic school, the hijab might be part of the dress code of the school for the girls but again, if betting or gambling is not haram in Islam, we would still be very willing to bet that if you see that girl playing outside with her neighbourhood friends after school, she won't be wearing a hijab.

Some young girls do request to wear the hijab because they want to look like their Mum but young girls are not required to wear the hijab, only females who have reached the age of puberty are required to wear the hijab:

Qur'an: 24: 31:

"Say to the believing women that they should cast down their glances and guard their private parts (by being chaste); that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their Khumur (veils) over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their women or the servants whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex, and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you believers, turn you all together towards GOD, that you may attain bliss."

It was reported that the Messenger of ALLAH (May the peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him) said: 

“The Pen is lifted from three (that is, their deeds are not recorded):

1. A child until he (or she) reaches puberty,
2. An insane man (person) until he comes to his senses,
3. One who is asleep until he (or she) wakes up.”

[Recorded in Abu Dawud #4403, and Ibn Majah #2041]