NANAWAGAN si Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez sa publiko na igalang ang kalayaan ng iba na mamili ng pinaniniwalaang relihiyon kasama na ang karapatan ng mga babaeng Muslim na magsuot ng Hijab.

Ginawa ni Speaker Romualdez ang panawagan sa pagdiriwang ng World Hijab Day 2023 sa North Wing Lobby ng Kamara de Representantes sa Batasan complex in Quezon City.

“We celebrate the 10th World Hijab Day, an annual event that we celebrate with the rest of the world in recognition of a very basic human right: the right to the free exercise of religion, a right that is enshrined in our very Constitution,” ani Speaker Romualdez.

“In this instance, it is to recognize the right of every Muslim woman who chooses to wear the hijab as an expression of her faith,” dagdag pa ng lider ng Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso.

Ayon kay Romualdez nakalulungkot na sa halip na kilalanin ang kahalagahan ng hijab sa paniniwalang Islam ay ang kabaliktaran ang nangyayari.

“It often becomes the object of discrimination. And we can all agree that discrimination hampers our ability to grow and mature as a country with diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds, and is therefore a deterrent to nation-building,” sabi ni Speaker Romualdez.

Upang maitama ang maling paniniwalang ito, sinabi ni Speaker Romualdez na itinutulak ng Kamara na maipasa ang National Hijab Day Bill, na pangunahing akda ni Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman.

“We recognize the importance of not only commemorating this day on a national level but also mandating an education campaign be launched to enhance and magnify the Filipino people’s understanding of why Muslim women wear the Hijab,” dagdag pa ni Speaker Romualdez.

“Tama po ang ating butihing congressman from Basilan: kailangan nating ituwid ang paniniwala tungkol sa pagsusuot ng Hijab,” ani Speaker Romualdez na ang tinutukoy ay si Hataman.

Kailangan umano ng batas upang maipaalam sa publiko ang kahalagahan ng pagsusuot ng hijab sa mga babaeng Muslim at hindi ito pagbatayan ng diskriminasyon.

“We need to make our citizens understand the true meaning or symbol of the hijab, which is to live a life of modesty as a Muslim woman,” dagdag pa ni Speaker.