August 26th, 2004
Young, Muslim, and French
Headscarf Headlines Around the World: Qatar

In 2003, a Qatari journalist working for global satellite news channel al-Jazeera made headlines around the world not just for the news she presents, but how she presents herself: wearing a headscarf. Star Algerian journalist Kahdija Ben Ganna decided to appear on-air wearing the hijab following what she described as years of deliberation and consideration of her own faith. She said she experienced no pressure from the network to decide either way. Rather, the decisive moment for her came after a face-to-face meeting with Egyptian Islamic cleric Omar Abdul Kafi, who appeared on the channel to speak about Sharia (Islamic) law.

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