Britain’s first hijab-wearing Muslim female international cricketer Abtaha Maqsood has appeared on a BBC children’s television series reading a book about Muslim women wearing hijab.
In the episode aired on BBC, Maqsood read Not Now, Noor! by Farhana Islam and Nabila Adani, which marks South Asian Heritage Month, Arab News reported.
The story is about a girl who is curious to find out why the women in her family wear hijab.
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“It shows why the hijab is so important to a lot of Muslim women,” Maqsood, Scotland and Birmingham Phoenix cricketer, said.
“It’s all about modesty and (having) a clear identity that you are a Muslim, and (are) proud to be a Muslim. It’s a really nice, sweet message for children.”
Maqsood added that she chose the story because it was a “simple and honest” way “of describing what it is like to actually wear the hijab and what it means to a lot of Muslim women out there.
“It is just really good for children to get a simple answer — it does it really well and in an entertaining way, so that was a book that really jumped out at me.”
Celebrating Identity
Maqsood, who is studying to be a dentist, sees hijab as part of her Muslim identity.
“It’s about modesty and having a real sense of identity, to show people I am who I am and I am proud to be Muslim. I think that’s really important,” she said.
“I think by playing cricket with my hijab in big stadiums like Edgbaston (where Birmingham Phoenix play), it’s such an important message to say to people that, ‘It doesn’t matter what you wear, what you look like, you can still do whatever you want. You can play in big stadiums and live your dream, or do anything else that you want.’”
Maqsood, made sporting and social history when she became the first ever British female with Pakistani heritage to play cricket at an International Level for Scotland whilst proudly wearing her hijab.
Besides playing cricket, Abtaha also holds a black belt in Taekwondo, which she got at the age of 11. She has participated in British and Scottish Taekwondo championships as well.