Ice crystals clung to the eyelashes, parka hood, beanie hat, and headscarf of a woman named Ruqayah Nasser as she enjoyed her first snow tubing runs in a Minnesota park on a subzero January morning. Nasser was part of a group founded by a Somali-American mother in Minneapolis to encourage outdoor activities among Muslim women, providing a sense of community and understanding for those who wear hijabs.
For many Muslim women, the hijab is a visible symbol of their faith, representing piety and modesty. However, in the sports world, athletes wearing hijabs often face challenges in finding accommodations for religious practices. Concerned about safety and determined to combat seasonal depression, Nasrieen Habib created a hiking group three years ago, which has now grown to over 700 members.
