Maryam You Narae (유나래), famously known as the YouTube duo Durian Kimchi with her husband Ryzal Ibrahim, has been wearing the hijab for quite a while now. She started putting on the Islamic garment in January earlier this year and she even called out a famous brand for asking her to remove her hijab for a photoshoot.
However, there have been people in the influencer’s life who believed that she was pressured to wear the Islamic headscarf. The content creator took to Instagram to share how she changed their minds.
Yesterday (Monday, 3rd July), Maryam posted a series of photos of herself dining in at a FowlBoys restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. However, in her captions, she addressed the assumptions and speculations about being forced to wear the hijab. She wrote, “Some of my family members and friends (Muslims and non-Muslims) thought wearing a hijab was something that [Muslim women] are forced to do and that you couldn’t dress freely”.
The content creator added that the people in her life are now slowly realising she was never forced to wear the headscarf after donning it for about 6 months now. She also clarified that styling herself however she feels comfortable was never restricted. “There are still tons of ways you can style yourself. I’m glad that many of my Muslim and non-Muslim friends are starting to see that I was never forced to wear the hijab,” said the mother-of-one.
The YouTuber’s followers showed their support by leaving positive comments on her post. Some commented to clarify that while Muslim women are not forced to wear the hijab, they are still required to cover themselves and dress modestly. Others were happy about her achievements in her Islamic journey and hopes she continues to become a better Muslim.
We’re glad that Maryam took the time to clarify any misunderstandings. Whether she wears the hijab or not, it is still ultimately her choice.
