I had the honor of being able to see Noor Tagouri speak at my college recently. She is only twenty-two years old and wants to be the first hijabi anchor on commericial television in the United States. She started a movement, #LetNoorShine, to pursue her own dreams as well as inspire others to dream big. She said, “My name, Noor, means ‘light.’ My middle name is Alhuda, so Noor Alhuda means ‘the guiding light.’ My name itself inspires me to be that guiding light.” She told us about her life growing up without wearing the hijab but then deciding around fifteen to wear the hijab because she had moved to a diverse place and wasn't the only person wearing one. She discovered her interest in journalism because she loved telling stories and and asking questions. She heard stories about how she would have to choose between her job and her hijab because women on TV didn't wear them. She would either have to take off the hijab or work behind the scenes, not on TV. What was inspiring about Noor was that this didn't turn her away from her passions but instead made her more motivated. “As soon as I realized how powerful it is to be different, I thrived off of it,” she said. She has been rejected from jobs, but she hasn't let that stop her. She explained how she has seen and received backlash, even from people she knows well, but she has responded in respectful manners to explain. She is breaking barriers by wearing the hijab but also for demonstrating the need for people who are knowledgable about the Islamic religion at new stations. She gave a few examples of when she heard different news stories that gave inaccurate statements about Islam and how she had to explain to them Islamic beliefs because their information often portrayed Muslims unfairly.
She also strongly emphasized how many connections she has made as a news reporter because she shares her own stories with the people that she interviews. Although she has been discriminated against, she has met so many interesting people that she has been able to share their stories. Then, she talked about how she wasn't prepared for how many Muslim women she has inspired around the world that have contacted her to say thank you because she has demonstrated that they should follow their dreams too.
I couldn't believe that the wise woman standing on stage was only twenty-two years old. At times she seemed much older, but then there were moments that her age shown through, like when she discussed her Instagram page, and she seemed very easy to talk to. Her passion for her job was undeniable, and she made it clear that she wasn't going to choose between the hijab and her career. Noor Tagouri said with a determined voice, "I posted a picture of me at a news station table with the caption, 'This is what my dream looks.' And I'm not going to give up until that's me on commericial television."
