Wearing headscarf an extension of expression

Cape Town - 160602 - Gadeeja Abbas, Cape Argus reporter, wears a doek. South Africans on social media came out in support of eNCA reporter Nontobeko Sibisi, who said a story in which she featured wearing a doek (scarf) was taken off air. In a leaked e-mail chain, Sibisi said she had put together a three-minute video package for Africa Day. In it, she is featured wearing a doek for nine seconds. The e-mail said the package was not aired because a line manager took issue with her wearing a doek on camera. Picture: David Ritchie

Cape Town - 160602 - Gadeeja Abbas, Cape Argus reporter, wears a doek. South Africans on social media came out in support of eNCA reporter Nontobeko Sibisi, who said a story in which she featured wearing a doek (scarf) was taken off air. In a leaked e-mail chain, Sibisi said she had put together a three-minute video package for Africa Day. In it, she is featured wearing a doek for nine seconds. The e-mail said the package was not aired because a line manager took issue with her wearing a doek on camera. Picture: David Ritchie

Published Jun 3, 2016

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Cape Town - Thousands have stood together in solidarity to demand that eNCA #RespekTheDoek.

It comes in the wake of general reporter Nontobeko Sibisi complaining about a story in which she appeared wearing the popular headdress being taken off air.

The hashtag was one of the top trending topics on Twitter on Thursday, with men posting pictures of themselves adorned with colourful scarves. People have made it clear that diversity should exist in a country with such rich cultural diversity and a history of oppression.

When I read Sibisi’s story on social media, I was surprised that the television channel's policy discouraged all sorts of headwear including scarves, alice bands and large earnings.

Journalists are the gatekeepers of information and should represent the voices of the people as it is the people who give the media power.

We encourage individuality, freedom of expression and freedom of religion, why then should we allow the constructs of company policy to diminish our constitutional rights?

Sibisi can be seen sporting a fashionable doek and enjoying the story she had been assigned to cover. As a Muslim woman, and an aspiring “fashionista”, I have had to find ways to wrap my scarf creatively. Many of my “creations” did not always complement me – ask our fashion expert Nontando Mposo.

Nevertheless, I had the comfort of knowing that when I chose, I could wear my scarf whether it be for fashion or religion without judgement being passed. After all, wearing a doek is an extension of our expression. I have seen Rastafari men, Xhosa women and even aunty Mavis on the corner wearing a doek proudly, claiming their “African-ness”.

It warms my heart to see the support Sibisi has received, including from her colleagues who back her right to wear what she feels represents her African identity.

The message is clear: Don’t touch me on my doek.

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