I took this last November, in a moment of celebration for finally finding pants that fit both my waist and hips. This celebration was cut short when enough ppl reported it for @instagram to take it down. Usually I wouldn't address this- but here's the thing: I'm covered from head to toe, and yet my picture was seen as "inappropriate" enough to get deleted. My whole life I've struggled w/ body image issues & only in recent years have I come to appreciate my curvy body. Being a curvy Muslim woman hasn't been a easy journey. I've been made aware my whole life that my body takes up too much space and evokes negativity from mean aunties and men alike. If my hips weren't as wide, would my picture have ever been taken down? Probably not. This is the double standard in the Muslim community, as well as beyond the Muslim community. Curvy is tacitly seen as immodest-- sexualized by default-- so my photos as a curvy hijabi are consumed and seen as obscene. For centuries now, men have been policing women on how they should act, dress, speak, etc. and this incident is just another example. I don't believe in comparing myself to other women, because they're not my competition, but the harsh reality is that it's easier to be a slimmer hijabi wearing this same outfit. I'm tired of being told I shouldn't wear certain things because I'm not a size 4-6, a size range I haven't fit in since elementary school. Growing up I never saw anyone that looked like me in the media and I definitely didn't see a black, curvy, hijabi-- and still haven't to this day. Representation is important to me. Seeing women like Serena Williams, Ashley Graham, etc., feel beautiful in their skin is a inspiration to all in a world that tells women the opposite. I come from a community where ppl who look like me are not visible and are constantly shamed. This is my body & I'm not hiding it anymore to make others comfortable. Love yours ?

A post shared by ya curvy hijabi (@musegold) on Mar 5, 2017 at 10:18am PST