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They are diligent students, fond of sports and visiting various circles and workshops. Each of these young girls has hobbies, dreams and plans for future. Like all the teenagers, each wants to do something significant and find her own social niche. However, the only feature distinguishing them from the other Ukrainian teenagers is dress style.

“Is it good for you, to wear head cover? Does anybody say something wrong or offend you? Do teachers mind?” Questions like this have long been so frequently asked that it’s high time to write a manual with answers for free and open distribution. Yet, the young girls who set themselves a task to satisfy human curiosity about their dress style so peculiar for a common Ukrainian chose another way. On April 6, 2013, they organized the round table “Our values” in the Islamic Cultural Center in Kiev and invited everyone who wished.

Head cover is not a barrier for training, friendship or sports… But the ethos requirements have to be kept to

Young girls were willing to answer the above mentioned and many other questions from visitors. Each one narrated her story of finding the balance between the fashion and the modesty, told her impressions on how she had been met and treated by her friends when seen in the head cover for the first time, and pointed out that clothes and head cover, if chosen and combined knowingly, never created a feeling of uneasiness or hindered joys of active life.

Yet, the ethos must be kept with. One cannot just take and put on closed dress and head cover, without improving one’s morals, fearing wrongdoing or showing proper respect to elder ones… Dress style and its correspondence with one’s behavior is a good characteristic of dress owner: the values he/she considers important and whether or not he/she holds on to them.

“Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents, and (all) the believers in the Day when the reckoning will be established” (Koran, 14:41)

Issues related with respectful treatment of parents were made subject for separate discussion. Once and again, young Muslim ladies refuted the widespread myth that a girl before marriage stays in her parent home as a servant without a say or right of choice. Another widespread myth that only father has to be revered and respected was debunked by arguments from the Koran and the Prophetic Sunnah, as mother’s degree in children’s eyes is trice higher than father’s, according to the Islamic religious teaching. 

Young girls used vivid examples and video clips to convey important idea to the audience: when we were little, our parents were explaining us simple things time after time. All of us should remember this and be patient and humble. We should show these qualities to our parents, grandmothers and grandfathers when they still cannot open their e-mail after two dozens of most detailed explanations, or when they ask us to repeat a phrase several times till they can catch it, because they grow older and older and their hearing becomes worse and worse.

If even the parents have really “fallen behind the times”, they have children to catch up with them. When they share their experiences with you, and you share your competencies about technical or social novelties with them, both parties will benefit.

The round table was held in warm and friendly atmosphere. Each one could have his/her questions answered or just talk and speak out his/her considerations. We sincerely welcome this good initiative of our young generation and hope that it will start up their regular participation in discussions of important and relevant issues.