Rayouf Alhumedhi has sent a proposal to The Unicode Consortium, a non-profit corporation that reviews and develops new emojis.
Advertisement
A Muslim teenager has launched a campaign for a hijab emoji to be created – after feeling left out during Whatsapp conversations with her friends. “Because with the massive [number] of women that wear the headscarf today, there should be at least one place on our keyboards reserved for them”.
“In this day and age, representation is extremely important”, she said of her reasons behind the project.
If you want to support Rayouf’s proposal, you can sign a Change.org petition here, or request the emoji on this website.
“The addition of the hijab emoji will prove to be a step forward in tolerance and diversity”, Alhumedhi wrote.
Ms Alhumedhi’s idea caught the idea of Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who hosted an ‘Ask Me Anything’ discussion to boost awareness of the idea on Tuesday. She noticed that, as a headscarf-wearing woman, there were no emojis to represent her.
‘The headscarf allows for people to see past a women’s beauty and see her for her knowledge.
She is now revising her proposal based on feedback from Unicode Consortium subcommittee members before she turns it in for approval. Now I know that some women are forced to wear it, but that is micro in comparison to those who see the beauty in it’.
Additionally, the proposal includes a male headscarf and three renderings of the clothing item on its own.
While one Twitter user wrote: ‘Apple be making the most USELESS emoji updates but they still won’t have a hijab emoji?
“People who are well-represented in media-be it movies, television, magazine ads, or even emoji-often take it for granted”, said Messer.
Advertisement
The drafting committee plans to present the final version of her headscarf emoji proposal to Unicode in November. “I’m really glad Rayouf made a decision to take action, and that the movement for a hijab emoji is getting so much attention”.
