Australian Women Take Hijab Selfies in WISH Campaign to 'Counter anti-Muslim Sentiments'

Dozens of Australian women have joined a social media campaign to protest against Islamophobic attacks that "Australian Muslim women in hijab often bear."

WISH, Women in Solidarity with Hijab, is attracting more women every day who take selfies wearing the hijab, a veil that covers the head and chest, and share them on social media.

High profile women such as Studio 10 news presenter Jessica Rowe and Labor MP Julie Owens took part in the campaign.

WISH, launched by lawyer and writer Mariam Veiszadeh, aims to "stand in solidarity with Australian Muslim women who have been physically and verbally abused in recent days."

The campaign Facebook page said that Australian Muslim women "have been physically attacked, had their scarves ripped of their heads, had coffee hurled at them and have had their cars vandalised and spray painted with profanities.

"To counter these anti-Muslim sentiments, Aussie women all around the country as a gesture of goodwill have posted photos of themselves on social media, donning the hijab."

According to critics, the campaign will not lead to any real change, and could be labelled "clicktivism" or "slacktivism".

However, according to psychologist Jocelyn Brewer, who specialises in social media, society and behaviour, WISH is different because "it is a bit more action based [than other campaigns]", she told news.com.au.

"It requires women to take a bunch of steps and it's much more personal that just liking or sharing something pre-existing."

WISH comes after a Muslim woman was left traumatised after her head was smashed into the side of train carriage during what appeared to be a racial attack in Melbourne.

The victim was grabbed by another woman who hurled abusive and racist remarks and forced her head into the carriage several times.

The campaign also follows the statement of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's most senior adviser, Peta Credlin, who said she approves a ban on the burqa - a garment which covers the entire body, used by some Muslim women in public - on security grounds. A discussion about the prospect of a ban of was held last week.

Referring to the ban, Abbott said he finds the burqa "a fairly confronting form of attire and frankly I wish it weren't worn."

However, he added: "We are a free country, we are a free society, and it's not the business of government to tell people what they should and shouldn't wear."