As PuffHo says in its latest osculation of Allure magazine’s “first ever hijab-wearing cover model”: “Yes to all of this.”
But to all of what? The wearing of a hijab—the Confederate flag of headgear—to ensure that you don’t excite the passions of men? The confusing juxtaposition of “don’t look at me” with “I’m on the cover of a fancy fashion magazine wearing a lot of makeup”? Click on the screenshot to go to the piece:
It’s not like they’re unaware of the modesty aspect of the garment, either:
One thing Aden does have to say about her hijab is that it allows her to spend less time worrying about her looks.
“I have much more to offer than my physical appearance, and a hijab protects me against ‘You’re too skinny,’ ‘You’re too thick,’ ‘Look at her hips,’ ‘Look at her thigh gap,’” she told Allure. “I don’t have to worry about that.”
Head to Allure to read the entire interview.
First of all, no, the hijab doesn’t protect you from comments about weight, shape, or thigh gaps; it’s a headscarf. Also, if the message is modesty and de-emphasis on appearance, why does Aden wear so much makeup? I believe those eyebrows are alluringly shaped as well:
Those lips aren’t naturally red, I think (and check out the Nike “swoosh” hijab):
Oh, and she’s making the “Latin Kings” gang sign. Totally rad!
Let’s face it: HuffPo’s recurrent adulation of the hijab is just virtue signalling. It’s the site saying “Look at us: we’re not racists or Islamophobes!” All at the same time worshiping a garment that’s the symbol of female oppression.
“The Confederate flag of headgear” is very good!
It’s not my characterization–it comes from Ali Rizvi’s wife, Alishba. See comment 22 here.
“Muslim. Model. Destroyer of Stereotypes.” – huh? A hijab-wearing muslim woman IS a stereotype. Also, “Latin Kings” gang sign – wouldn’t HuffPo call that cultural appropriation? Yes, confederate flag of headgear – thank you, PCC(E)!
“Destroyer of stereotypes” is yet another thin, leggy, fashion model with unusually extreme facial features.
Allure, like Linda Sarsour, needs to explain why, if the hijab is a symbol of empowerment, the burka isn’t a symbol of still greater empowerment.
I read that some women in Burqas or Niqabs shot some ISIS soldiers. In this situation, they were empowered by the garment which allowed the to hide guns.
The garment didn’t empower them. They were clearly already empowered in some way and took advantage of the garment to hide weapons.
It cannot be argued that forcing a woman into a religiously mandated garment automatically empowers her, especially when that religion denigrates women.
Agreed, I was just being sarcastic. I have great sympathy for the women forced to wear those horrid garments.
It’s a very versatile fashion accessory. On the one hand, it signals that a woman is modest and virtuous. On the other hand, it can be glamorous. It can be made of lovely designer fabric and by covering the hair it emphasizes a beautifully made up face. One can achieve piety and glamour at the same time though these would seem contradictory.
They are contradictory. Glamour is calling attention to one’s self. Modesty (which piety demands) is literally the opposite of that.
Who decides what is modest and virtuous, and why does a women need to dress a certain way to express those attributes?
I think it’s cultural. Growing up in the 40’s and 50’s on Western movies, modest to me is a long dress and a bonnet. Interesting that about the only women who dress that way now are the [plural] wives of fundamentalist Mormons.
I think you’re right – it is cultural.
I don’t think anyone has the right to force their idea of what’s modest on someone else.
There are limits of course – I don’t think people should wander down the main street naked for example. And people should have the right to control clothing in certain circumstances – e.g. our hospitals don’t allow gang patches or regalia, and I assume the ban on MC helmets in banks is worldwide.
But the idea that someone is inviting rape by what they’re wearing, for example, is an extension of this modesty thing, and it’s sick.
I suspect no conservative Imam is going to look at this and see it as supportive of their cultural taboos. If fashionistas can signal female strength and sexual allure and independence with a headscarf and some makeup, that’s IMO a long term win for equal rights.
Yes we should fight against legal and social requirements to wear it. But when we can’t remove such rules, the next best thing is to throw all the western decadence we can into it. Follow this up with a sassy sit-com character who is works as a high-paid lawyer (arguing against men!), and is raising her gay kid as a single parent, and then the undermining will really get going. 🙂
These photos remind me of a photo I once saw ( in a magazine called Photo, iirc) where a young lady lifted her burka to show her perfect, very sexy naked body underneath.
Yes, the same possibility occurred to me. By trying to associate the hijab with feminism, the long term effect could be the opposite of what’s intended. Instead of making purity piety more acceptable, it will filter it down into being little more than a vague cultural preference.
In a way, this reminds me of theistic evolution. “Oh, God’s top-down creation is perfectly consistent with science’s bottom-up explanation!” No, it’s not — but keep this up and eventually “God” is going to be in scare quotes. In both cases the disconnect still needs to be pointed out in order to facilitate the diminishment of faith-based thinking and religious identification, but this process is jump-started by the public attempt to deny any conflict. Basically, they’re embarking on a collision course with the modern world.
Latin Kings gang sign ,more likely from a lawn mower safety manual.
This really pi$$es me off! As you say, the hijab is all about the oppression of women.
If a woman wants to wear a hijab, go for it. However, not only should it NOT be celebrated any more than any other item of clothing, it should be celebrated yes. It is an example of women internalizing the abuse of religion. It’s no different than the clothing of women Amish, Free Presbyterian, Orthodox Jews, or several others.
The women we should be celebrating are those who take the brave step of removing their hijab. The ones who choose to be defined as individuals and not be subjugated by a religion in a society where they don’t have to be.
All those Muslim women in countries where they should be free to dress as they please are being held back when hijabis are celebrated, and all those women forced into burqas, niqabs etc in countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran feel abandoned.
+ 1
As alluded to earlier, what have these hijab celebrators to say about the niqab or the burka? -Equally an expression of feminism and freedom? Let’s hear it!
It would take some mental gymnastics to explain away the burka and the niqab represent freedom of choice. However in some circles, it is expected that the niqab be accepted and celebrated as a symbol of diversity. There was an article in a Canadian newspaper about how wonderful and normal it was that a woman in a niqab was working with preschoolers. Supposedly it was fine with the children. Too bad her non verbal communication is severely restricted by the garment.
I think she may scare the children.
I think you already have your answer:
As Jerry points out, that doesn’t apply to the hijab, which only “frees” one from the gross imposition of people judging your hair. In order to avoid something like fat-shaming, you have to be wearing a tent.
Instead of working to make the culture more tolerant of less than ideal female bodies and dress, this is reinforcing such a culture. It’s like telling parents with children who are bullied at school for being weak and nerdy that they ought to home school their child. That’s where the weak and nerdy belong. No need to try to stop school bullying. This solution may indeed provide a fix, but at a social and probably personal cost.
Lots of artificial plumping in those lips.
No, I do not think so, just ‘very sexy’ lips. Does not look artficial to me, apart from the gloss.
What surprises me is how western she looks, could she walk down the main thurofair of Tehran dressed as such!
“I have much more to offer than my physical appearance, and a hijab protects me against ‘You’re too skinny,’ ‘You’re too thick,’ ‘Look at her hips,’ ‘Look at her thigh gap,’” she told Allure. “I don’t have to worry about that.”
But, it doesn’t protect her from ignorance which is displayed whether or not one wears a hijab.
And, if anything, the hijab focuses attention on the face which some women take advantage of with a lot of skillful makeup. Burqas hide women’s bodies. Some of the younger bodies might incite lust, but I think it more likely that most of the mature ones would not incite lust even if less fully covered.
Claims can be manufactured for whatever anyone wants to say about the hijab, but no one can dismiss the misogyny rooted in its origin. To prescribe adulation for the oppression that the hijab represents is psychotic masochism.
There is no remedy to this situation apart a) from every woman on the planet voluntary choosing to wear a hijab or b) every women using their hijab to clean the toilets. In both cases I would have to wonder if I had accidentally been transferred to another universe.
I’ve traveled in 6 Muslim countries and, each time, have found myself shaking my head after seeing women in hijabs…with full make-up and cologne, being ”modest” so men won’t look at them. NONSENSE!
It is my bet that in the next decade we will see very significant numbers of white Western feminists and other members of the current left coalition just going ahead and converting to Islam. Clearly the propaganda push to get them to do so is already under way.
From seeing the boogieman of patriarchy behind every shadow to giving birth to the next generation of real patriarchs in just a few short years…
The derp of huffpo is apparent, the avarice of Allure is now. Ka-ching!
This is all fine. More naked cats. Less bundled models? Les politicas, religiona? How we gonna win a lap, looking into the wall? You are spreading HuffPo. Contain yourself!
‘…and check out the Nike “swoosh” hijab . . . .’
I wonder what Nike’s/Nike inve$tors’ perspective would be on a prospective and precipitous mass world-wide boycott and renunciation of the hijab by women. Would there be ululating and wailing and dressing in sackcloth and ashes among Wall Street analysts? Would they experience tug-of-war cognitive dissonance between doing right by women and exploiting their subordination/subjugation for the sake of maximizing “investor value” and meeting “Wall Street expectations”?
Is a Nike hijab “cooler” than others? Does Nike also have its pop culture status-conscious, envy-inducing “swoosh” on burqas and niqabs?