MUSLIM women are misunderstood and actively choose to wear the controversial hijab head covering, according to the organiser of an awareness week to be held in Birmingham.

Nasreen Akhtar hit out at “stereotypes and preconceptions” surrounding those who followed Islam but claimed Muslims bore some responsibility for the state of affairs.

“Muslims tend to live in areas that are mainly Muslim and, to some extent, these different communities live different lives,” she said.

“There have been attempts to organise events which bring different communities together but they are not always successful.” Ms Akhtar, a qualified teacher, said the hijab, or head covering, was a prime example.

“People think women in Muslim society play a certain role,” she said.

“They see the hijab and think that is not our choice. They see it as a symbol of oppression and they do not understand how we see it. They do not see we choose to wear the hijab.