Hijabs, feminism and hypocrisy in mainstream narratives of women’s liberation
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M. Mazigh
Discrimination, Islamophobia, Social justice, Stereotyping
Blog / news media story

Mazigh, M. (2018a, February 8). Hijabs, feminism and hypocrisy in mainstream narratives of women’s liberation. Rabble. https://rabble.ca/columnists/hijabs-feminism-and-hypocrisy/ 

 

Conversations about Muslim women’s dress are often discussed in various contexts such as the media or in political campaigns. Political decisions relating to Muslim women’s dress, such as the hijab and niqab, are often constructed and justified by two arguments: secularism or feminism. Although Muslim women claim on numerous occasions that they are not oppressed, they are often ignored. There is a double standard in relation to the type of Muslim women voices which are amplified as it serves a feminist personal agenda. Muslim women who remove their hijabs are branded by the media as heroic and courageous, while Muslim women who protest and challenge hijab bands are not deemed courageous. In order to avoid supporting some and denouncing others, all Muslim women’s voices and stories should be heard.

 

The Teaching Against Islamophobia resources were developed with funding support from the Law Foundation of BC, and the Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies at SFU.

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