This Muslim mom received an anonymous package filled with handmade hijabi dolls

Growing up Muslim, Sheza Hasan was well aware that finding dolls wearing hijabs — like the ones she and her sisters wore — was a huge undertaking. In fact, she says, she never found any hijabi dolls at all. Many years later, as a Muslim mom, that task was no easier. So when a surprise box arrived on her porch, she was stunned to find that it was filled with handmade hijabi dolls.

“It’s not just any act of kindness. It’s something someone really thought about and put the time and effort in,” she told CBC News. “My kids were in awe; we’ve been talking about it for three days. They’re amazed that someone would put so much energy into putting this together.”

And these aren’t just any dolls. The set of handmade hijabi dolls — 25 in all — each sport different outfits and colorful, removable hijabs, along with a touching note from the anonymous donor (read the whole thing below).

Related: 6 of the coolest and most diverse dolls

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10159619390845389&set=p.10159619390845389&type=3&theater

Hasan says that she’s looking to place the special dolls in a community space, like a library or school, so that kids who are Muslim can see a doll they can identify with — and kids who aren’t Muslim can see a doll they can learn something from.

And I think that’s the thing that gets me most about Hasan’s story. It’s touching on many levels, obviously, but what resonates with me is the humanity of it — that someone non-Muslim noticed a lack of hijabi dolls, and seriously thought about how Muslim kids and their parents might feel about the exclusion of their culture. And then that person did something about it in such a sweet way.

Because recognizing and empathizing with the challenges of other people is such a huge step toward unity — something the world could use a whole lot more of these days. And a box of handmade hijabi dolls is an unexpectedly beautiful place to start.

Photo by Sheza Hasan/Facebook