American Muslim Women Are Saying They're Afraid To Wear Hijabs After Trump Wins Presidency

Imani, a black American Muslim activist in New York, said that the night Trump won the election was the last she felt "somewhat safe" wearing hijab. She said that when she wore her hijab on Wednesday she was shoved on the subway.

"While I'm not sure whether it was this was an incident of malice it made me realize how vulnerable I am and that for the sake of self-preservation I will continue to cover but I will do it in more creative ways like wearing berets or wearing hats," Imani told BuzzFeed News.

She said she wore a hat for the rest of the day because Trump's "rhetoric has empowered xenophobes and Islamophobes and I do not want to experience increased hatred or violence."

Imani said she would never stop being Muslim and never stop covering because of bigotry.

Mareena Nouristani said her mother's tears when Trump won the election "weren't just for her and her future."

"They were for all Muslims and people of color that would face persecution from here on out," Nouristani told BuzzFeed News.

Nouristani said her mother feared "how much violent racist will be spiked even more so in our country on behalf of Trump's dehumanizing rhetoric."

Her mother fled from persecution, oppression and harassment in Afghanistan during the communist regime, Nouristani said.

"My mother came to this country as an immigrant to be free from religious and political persecutions, and she is now absolutely petrified that she’ll have to endure it all again, and even worse, see my siblings and I endure what she did," Nouristani said.

She said that she also felt terrified for her family, including her mother, sister and aunts who wear the hijab. "I don’t feel like it’s my home anymore, and I genuinely feel scared to be here," Nouristani said. "I feel like I’ve become an outsider."

Mahwish Jawed, a high school senior in New Jersey, said that after the election she didn't feel safe anymore.

"I feel this way because of the anti-Muslim rhetoric that Donald Trump has continuously promoted throughout his campaign," Jawed told BuzzFeed News. " I feel like hate crimes against Muslims, especially hijab-wearing women, might go up."

Jawed said the election result shocked her, "because I never would have imagined that people would vote for a man who has said so many negative, racist, and sexist things."

She said that hijabis like her will be afraid because of the negative rhetoric and hoped that people would unite as Trump called for in his victory speech.

"I hope I don't have to be afraid to wear what I've worn for 7 years, something that means a lot to me," Jawed said. "Something that means so much to a lot of women in this country. And to all the hijabis — stay strong."