“I wanted to highlight how wearing the hijab gave me power and courage when I made this. The hijab acts as a source of light and identity for me, pulling me away from the darkness. The hijab is your crown, and no one should take it away from you, my hijabies. I’m always going to try to shine brighter than all the stars in the sky and make my mark. My painting was inspired by Greg Curnoe, especially the colour choice and wordings around the painting. I wanted to convey the feeling of light triumphing over darkness and destroying the darkness. When the recent incident in London, Ontario occurred, it broke my heart to watch these inhumane attacks on my fellow Muslims. I wanted to use my artwork to show how Islamophobia must end. ‘Say No to Islamophobia.’”
— Khadijat Dairo (Grade 9, Fort McMurray Islamic School, Fort McMurray, Alberta)

Greg Curnoe (1936–1992) used words and text in powerful ways throughout his body of work to challenge aspects of Canadian society, from Indigenous land rights to national identity.