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Mercury News – Nov. 13, 2006
``Wear a Hijab/Turban Day” in Fremont, CA
By Lisa Fernandez
Samantha Keller of San Jose wrapped a pink scarf around her face today, covering her long, curly brown hair. The church-going Catholic donned a Muslim veil as part of a global social experiment to show that she respects other people's cultures and faiths.
``I didn't get any weird stares or feel ostracized,'' said Samantha, 15, a sophomore at San Jose's Presentation High School. ``My school is pretty tolerant, but I wonder how it would have been in the real world?''
She was among the few who took ``Wear a Hijab/Turban Day'' to heart.
The event kicked off at noon when about 100 people attended a 30-minute ceremony in rainy, blustery weather in Fremont's Central Park. Most of the guests covered their heads for the gathering but took off their headgear afterward. Keller kept hers on all day.
``The motto at my school is, `Not words but actions,' '' Keller said. ``I thought this was my chance to do something.''
The event was dreamed up by a handful of Fremont community activists in response to the Oct. 19 slaying of Alia Ansari, 38, an Afghan mother of six who wore a hijab the day she was killed.
Muslim women are commanded to show modesty, which is observed by covering their hair.
Because Ansari had no known enemies, many perceive the brazen daytime shooting as a hate crime. Hijab-day organizers wanted to show Ansari's family, and the wider community, that Fremont is not a hateful place.
With 212,000 residents who hail from 155 countries, the Bay Area's fourth-largest city is the most diverse of its size in the country. Countless people from London to New York and Saudi Arabia e-mailed the organizers to say they would wear head scarves, too. The event expanded to include Sikh turbans, Jewish yarmulkes and African-American-style head wear.
``This was a horribly sad incident that occurred,'' said Fremont Mayor Bob Wasserman, who chose not to wear a head covering to the event. ``But we wanted to honor the victim and her family and children, to show that we share in their pain.''
Police have no suspect and no motive for the crime. Police Chief Craig Steckler attended today's event, giving out the first public updates about what police are doing to solve the case.
Although police took a 27-year-old Fremont into custody as a ``person of interest'' in the case and arrested him on an unrelated parole violation, he has not been arrested in connection with the killing. Steckler said detectives are still reviewing the man's computer databases and other written materials…..
Samina Faheem Sundas of Palo Alto, founder of American Muslim Voice, who asked to join the movement, passed out 1,000 free scarves from Pakistan…..
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