The Harsh Reality of being a Muslim Woman
Tasnim Moawad
Introduction
Islamophobia is a direct result of deeply rooted misperceptions and stigmas against Muslims and Islam, and what makes wearing the hijab so difficult for our women. I created this powerpoint to explore the context of Islamophobia, and expose the harsh reality of being a hijabi.
Being a hijabi, a visibly Muslim woman, in today’s divisive society is a double-edged sword. It is one of the hardest, yet most spiritually, religiously rewarding choices millions of Muslim women all over the world every day. It is also one of the most dangerous choices one of us can make, due to how prevalent and intense Islamophobic rhetorics, sentiments, and acts of violence have become.
What is Islamophobia?
Islamophobia is a complex, horrifying issue of religious hatred. By definition, according to a 2021 scholarly article on the matter, “Islamophobia refers to the fear of and hostility toward Muslims and Islam that is driven by racism and that leads to exclusionary, discriminatory, and violent actions targeting Muslims and those perceived as Muslim,” (Green, 1). It is a harmful ideology that haunts Muslims everywhere, especially women, since the hijabs we wear are the clearest, most meaningful symbol of our religious faith.
The Misperception of Islam
Islam is an extremely misperceived religion. Due to the bias of Western media outlets and the terrible, one-sided way they portray Muslims, most view Islam as an oppressive religion and one that promotes extremist activity: an absolutely false perception. It highly frustrates me to see that a religion of peace, friendliness, virtue, and modesty could be mistaken as a religion of fanaticism, murder, and fundamentalism. The activity of certain terrorist groups within the Middle East should not be associated with Islam because their actions technically release them from the religion of Islam. Muslims do not condone murder and especially not any of the horrible acts terrorist organizations such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda do.
The level of racism towards Arabs and hostility towards Muslims in this country is ridiculous considering we do not share the same values as such repulsive people. They should not represent Islam; however, the efforts of Muslims everywhere to fix this misportrayal go almost absolutely unnoticed. Most people who are uneducated on Islam also make an extremely problematic, false assumption, which is that the hijab is oppressive. It is the exact opposite of this: the hijab is meant to be a symbol of virtue and freedom from judgment. This misperception of Islam has infiltrated the minds of countless non-Muslims, creating prejudice and hatred that impacts Muslim women both locally and globally.
The Impact of Islamophobia on Muslim women Globally
The graphic novel Persepolis perfectly demonstrates how governments that use Islam to justify corruption, like the Iranian regime, allow Westernized media to misportray Muslims as oppressive, violent, and harmful. It is highly insightful since it illustrates how terrorists that misuse Islam as a means of validating violence do not represent the sentiments, circumstances, values, and beliefs of all Muslims. The author, Marjane Satrapi, describes how the notoriously oppressive nature of the Islamist government does not properly reflect the reality of common, educated Iranians, including their openness to Westernization in terms of popular culture and government structure, the troubles of the youth in their education and upbringing, the common, secret consumption of alcohol at illegal, concealed parties, and many women’s rejection of the veil as an ideological concept [which is their Islamic right], amongst many other practices. Marjane expresses her frustration with the significant impacts of the Islamic Revolution, making bold statements such as “I wanted to be an educated, liberal woman… and so another dream went up in smoke,” (Satrapi, 73) and “It wasn’t only the government that changed. Ordinary people changed too,” (Satrapi, 75). Persepolis shows how the Islamophobia prompted by terrorism and unfair government practices cause women to be heavily stereotyped. Its purpose of defying Islamophobic stereotypes has lead it to be censored throughout American curriculums.
The Impact of Islamophobia on Muslim women Globally
Islamophobia deeply impacts Muslim women in Europe, particularly those living in France. They face heightened levels of violence and discrimination almost everywhere they go. In the professional sphere, Muslim women are highly unlikely to get jobs due to their ethno-religious background. According to a 2016 article about the challenges faced by hijabis in France, “wearing an Islamic religious symbol such as a headscarf reduces the chances of getting an interview close to zero [...] Wearing a headscarf clearly constitutes an additional barrier when it comes to entering the French labor market or facing verbal and physical violence,” (Moya, 8). The article also cited that within only a year, “physical and verbal aggressions respectively showed a 500% and 100% increase,” and “87 cases of Islamophobic discourse, 30 verbal aggressions and 32 physical aggressions were reported to the CCIF. Most victims are Muslim women, veiled women particularly,” (Moya, 8).
Links to News Stories about Global Islamophobia
Two French women charged over 'racist' stabbing of veiled Muslim women - France 24
Video of Man Assaulting Woman With Hijab Stirs Anger in France (moroccoworldnews.com)
Muslim woman wearing headscarf attacked in Germany (trtworld.com)
Man gets 16 months attack on Muslim women outside Edmonton mall | Edmonton Journal
The Impact of Islamophobia on Muslim women in America
With the rise of hate crimes and xenophobic rhetorics that impact nearly every non-white, Christian ethnic group that exists in the United States, Muslim women have been among the most affected of these groups. These sentiments are boldly expressed in our nation’s divisive politics, especially by Republicans. One of our own presidents, Donald Trump, has not only publicly participated in racism and discrimination against Muslim women, but has also planted similar hateful feelings and false beliefs in his followers and supporters, making up about half of Americans. According to a report on the controversial Trump administration by the NYU School of Law, “During the campaign, President Donald Trump trafficked in anti-Muslim rhetoric, and proposed laws and policies targeting American Muslim communities [...] Trump’s own blatantly anti-Muslim rhetoric has emboldened people to act on their prejudices, and hate crimes against Muslims have soared,” (Patel, 1). Muslim women are the victims of most Islamophobic hate crimes, since those who are veiled are most visibly Muslim. A dissertation on the impact of Islamophobia on Muslim-Americans noted, “As many women in this study brought up, their identity as a visibly identifiable Muslim woman who wears a hijab made many feel unsafe – so much so that some contemplating removing it,” (Ali, 61).
Links to News Stories about Islamophobia in America
Religious Hate Crimes in America
As you can see in the infographic below, anti-Islamic hate crimes have steadily accounted for nearly one fifth of all religious-based hate crimes in the United States in recent years. Uncoincidentally, the rate of Islamophobic hate crime peaked at the time of Trump’s campaign in 2016. Due to these high rates, Muslim women have become extremely uncomfortable wearing such a bold symbol of Islam in fear of getting attacked or harassed.
The Impact of Islamophobia on Muslim women in New York
Most think Islamophobia is not as common in New York as it is elsewhere in the United States, especially in the five boroughs, since it is such a liberal, culturally and religiously diverse state. However, Muslims living in New York have experienced some of the highest rates of Islamophobia in the United States. According to a July news article on a survey conducted by the Muslim Community Network reports, “between 2019 and 2022, 76 percent of Muslims in New York City witnessed a hate crime and 49 percent were victims of such acts [...] the Muslim Community Network’s poll follows data released by the New York Police Department (NYPD) last year, showing that hate crimes in 2021 against Jews and Muslims in New York City more than tripled compared to the previous year,” (Middle East Eye Staff).
The Impact of Islamophobia on Muslim women in New York
The NYPD has also been paying individuals to surveillance Muslim mosques, businesses, and communities, only heightening anti-Islamic fears and sentiments in NYC. According to a factsheet on Islamophobia, “The NYPD’s surveillance program is based on a false and unconstitutional premise: that Muslim religious belief and practices are a basis for law enforcement scrutiny,” (American Civil Liberties Union). Again, these sentiments are what cause all these targeted hate crimes on Muslims, hijabis especially, being the most visibly Muslim. Islamophobia also highly impacts young Muslim girls in New York. Every single Muslim girl I know, hijabi or not, who grew up in Long Island or NYC has faced verbal and/or physical harassment because of their religious identity. My own best friend was walking home from school in Queens three years ago when she got her hijab pulled off and punched in the face by a random stranger. He never got caught, and she never got justice, like how most hate crimes here go. At the time of the September 11 attacks, my mother, father, and sister were living in the Bronx. Not long after, my father shaved his mustache and beard, and sent my hijabi mother and sister to live in Egypt for nearly one year, purely out of fear of being attacked because of how intense Islamophobia got in the city.
Links to News Stories about Islamophobia in NY
How has Islamophobia impacted me personally?
I stepped out of my comfort zone to positively impact my community when I gave a speech at the Commack School District June Board of Education Meeting in 2021. I condemned Islamophobia based on personal experiences and racism in the town and the removal of Persepolis from the IB English Language and Literature curriculum. In this speech, I respectfully discussed reasons why the book should not have been removed, the evident bias in the administration and curriculum exemplified by its removal, and the existence of racism and Islamophobia in the Commack community. I explained that the novel should be kept since it explores the misperception of Islam, that it is not as “graphic,” as some parents claimed, as other bodies of work in the course, and that the curriculum should expand beyond limited, white-centric perspectives and narratives. I also spoke about this matter on Newsday. I believe in the importance of speaking up against injustice and will continue to do so, even when it is difficult.
My June 2021 BOE Meeting Speech
Newsday Article and Video
How has Islamophobia impacted me personally?
The mosque my very own father founded, Masjid Fatima al-Zahraa, was also a victim of Islamophobic violence. This is the same mosque I have been volunteering at for nearly six years now, and that my entire family goes to. It was attacked shortly after Ramadan this year.
Hate crimes officers investigate explosion outside NY mosque | AP News�
Reward offered, Gov. Hochul meets with faith leaders after Long Island mosque arson
Bibliography
Green, Todd. Islamophobia. OBO in Islamic Studies, 27 Oct. 2021.
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Pantheon Books, 2004.
Moya, Marjorie. FORGOTTEN WOMEN: The Impact of Islamophobia on Muslim Women in France. European Network Against Racism, 1 May 2016.
Patel, Faiza. The Islamophobic Administration. Brennan Center for Justice, 17 April 2019.
Ali, Areeza. The impact of Islamophobia on the Muslim American community: accounts of psychological suffering, identity negotiation, and collective trauma. Smith College, 2017.
MEE Staff. New Poll Reveals Muslims in NYC Dealing with Increased Racism, Threats at Early Ages. Middle East Eye, 19 July 2022.
ACLU. Factsheet: The NYPD Muslim Surveillance Program. American Civil Liberties Union, 2017.