Hijab support group nabs Facebook award

The group supports women who wear a hijab. (Shutterstock)

• The Facebook group “Surviving Hijab” is set to receive a Facebook Fellowship Award
• The group was created by Manal Rostom, the first-ever athlete to compete wearing a Nike Pro Hijab

DUBAI: The Facebook group “Surviving Hijab,” which aims to support women who wear the covering, is set to receive Facebook Fellowship Award, it was announced this week.

Out of more than 6000 applicants, @survivinghijabinitiative was chosen due to its ever-expanding community and positive aim. They will be receiving monetary support to grow and help more hijab-wearing woman around the world.

The social media platform was created by Manal Rostom, the first-ever athlete to compete in a major competition sporting a Nike Pro Hijab.

View this post on Instagram

2/3 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT Some may have tried to ban us from pools, others denied us jobs, but one thing they couldn’t do, was to keep us quiet. . . . That’s why I @manirostom started this group, in her own words, “This is why I started Surviving Hijab to support one another and to get support myself.” . . . #repost @manirostom . . . Today I am proud to announce Out of 6000 applications submitted to Facebook’s Community Leadership Program, last year, @survivinghijab initiative has been chosen as a Fellow where as a booming community on Facebook with over 650K women from all around the world , we will be receiving monetary support to grow and flourish even more as a Support Community of Hijab-babes around the world. . This is a *HUGE* moment for us as a community that strives to smash stereotypes and break glass ceilings. To every Hijabi girl who has been humiliated, denied access to restaurants, pools, hotels and denied jobs - today , this Award is for you. . One massive thank you goes to @facebook for giving us a voice and for giving us a platform and another massive thank you to @chrissharb & the rest of the Facebook Team for having our back throughout this process. And of course a huge thank you to the ladies of the Surviving Hijab who keep it alive everyday @malowaishi @mahaelnemer @faridaelsharkawy @coveredinlayers @hibaaitanii

A post shared by Surviving Hijab®️ (@survivinghijab) on Sep 25, 2018 at 11:23am PDT

Manal took to Instagram and wrote: “This is a *HUGE* moment for us as a community that strives to smash stereotypes and break glass ceilings. To every hijabi girl who has been humiliated, denied access to restaurants, pools, hotels and denied jobs — today, this award is for you...To speak up LOUDER, STRONGER and have NO FEAR to stand up for your right…Thank you @Facebook for giving us a voice and for giving us a platform to express ourselves with a mere objective to change the world (sic).”

The Facebook community leadership program was created to inspire and give a platform to community global leaders and support them through monetary means.