Muslim Women Stereotypes

Wearing a veil is not synonymous with being hidden.
Why is it that you never see a female Muslim police officer, or actress? Why is it that whenever candidates like Donald trump speak on Muslim women words such as “powerless, or victims” always trail behind? The media is a way of general communication, information, or entertainment in society. The media grooms us to believe that certain groups of people have personality traits unique to them, which is stereotypical and ignorant. What comes to your mind when you think of a Muslim woman? A mysterious, veiled victim of male oppression, awaiting Western liberation? A slogan-shouting terrorist? An uneducated foreigner with whom you have little or nothing in common? Muslim women have largely been represented by negative media stereotypes - images that usually have little to do with real life, and may have been designed to support for someone's
political agenda. The images in the media reinforce the stereotype that Muslim women are all the same; helpless, hidden, silenced individuals. Why is it that when you Google “Muslim women” all the images are the same. There are Muslim female lawyers, doctors, teacher, singers, and accountants. However when you Google Muslim women, all you see are veiled, distressed Arab women. This homogenous way of looking at Muslim females is incredibly ignorant and damaging to young Muslim girls.

Have you ever heard of Kadra Mohamed?
Well you should have. She’s Minnesota’s first hijab wearing police woman and the first Somali female officer. St. Paul is also one of the few American police departments that allow women to wear the hijab while working. This way, they hope to enable Muslim women to consider a career in law enforcement. Kadra Mohamed is only 21 years old and already making history. This topic always raises the same questions. Why is it that Muslim women wearing hijab have to fight all kinds of stereotypes to have a career? There are millions of Muslim women like Kadra Mohamed, who want to achieve their goals. And it’s not their hijab that is holding them back. It those people with narrow-minded views, refusing to see what kind of talents these women might brighten up the world with. The fact that Kadra is the first Muslim; hijab wearing police officer in America proves that the media’s portrayal of Muslim women has leaded to police departments being reluctant to hire them, which is detrimental to young Muslim girls who want to pursue a career in law
enforcement.

Another general stereotype about Muslim women is that they are apart of an oppressive and controlling religion, which moulds them to be submissive, uneducated, stay at home mothers. Muslim women are depicted as conservative and close minded, however this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Muslim women are first and foremost women, individuals, different. Women with families, careers, ambitions, and dreams. News outlets such as CNN and CIBC show the negative aspects of Middle Eastern society such as the Taliban’s ban on education or Al-Shabaab forcing women to dress in a certain way. These barbaric terror groups are not a representation of Islam or Middle Eastern culture. The stereotype that all Muslim women are under totalitarian rule, is detrimental to young Muslim girls because they will feel alienated from their culture and faith if they believe This video by Bustle shows how Muslim women really live their day to day lives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL33RfxfnC0

A Muslim instagram model and youtuber, Habiba Da Silva recently made a video about the societal pressures and expectations put on Muslim females who where hijab. Habiba says that the pressure to be the “perfect Muslim” is so much harder on females than males because a hijab is a clear sign that you’re Muslim so it adds pressure to represent or advocate for your faith appropriately through your behaviour. As a defence mechanism and an attempt to counter the stereotype that all Muslims are potential terrorist, Muslim women put the pressure on themselves to prove that we are not threatening, and then Islam is a religious of peace. Habiba speaks on how there is this stereotype that a hijab means you are suppose to be a quieter, less expressive and submissive individual which could make someone feel like if you don’t have those personality traits then wearing a hijab isn’t for you. However, Habiba shows how Muslim women should stick to wearing their hijab and fight against societies restrictive expectation of Muslim women.
This video by Habiba Silva shows how Muslim women don’t need to stop wearing hijabs because of societal pressure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T31YiQ4QdQY