From Belly Dancers to Burqas: Media Representation of Muslim Women
I thought this discussion was very interesting, and
Dr. Afshan Jafar did a great job speaking about how the media portrays Muslim women, without an identity and in a stereotypical way. The beginning of the talk included the audience finishing the sentence Muslim women are... The most common words were oppressed, unequal rights and covered up. I had never given much thought to how the media always represents Muslim women as being a weak and timid group, oppressed by their religion or country. This is not the case for all women, and people need to educate themselves about a religion or culture before they make assumptions. Society defines people by their race, religion, or appearance and the fact that everyone is an individual with an identity is forgotten.
The first thing that Dr. Jafar talked about was Disney's Aladdin, and the way it stereotyped Jasmine. The entire movie she is in a belly dancing outfit, which isn't even a dance that all Muslim women do. It is performed throughout many cultures. The outfits that she wore sexualized her, which associated Muslim women as being overly sexual and wearing little clothing. This reminded me of the reading "Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us" by Christiansen about gender stereotypes and societies standards about how both genders should act. The way Disney depicted this character was degrading for arabian women and their culture, where often they are more conservative in what they choose to wear. This movie instilled the idea, that women from this culture use their looks and sexuality as a means of power, and this is something that children can notice. I found a blog that talks about the different stereotypes found in the movie Aladdin, and how they can affect how a child perceives this culture. 
Dr. Jafar also talked about a picture of a refugee girl, that was put on the cover of National Geographic. The photographer got all the fame and recognition for the picture, but the girl did not. This was because he didn't even ask her what her name was or include it in the caption. The fact that her name was not even mentioned, showed the lack of identity they gave her. The caption for this described her eyes as being haunted, but the photographer never asked her what she was feeling. He just assumed that because she was a refugee, she was afraid. She didn't have a voice in the matter, and it portrayed her as being weak. Years later, that same woman was found again, and photographed but again this time they chose the picture when she is fully covered. They couldn't even put her face, which once again didn't show her identity. This covering, only reinforced the lack of voice that this women had. I could connect this, with the "Silenced Dialogue" by Delpit that we read in class. This women was silenced and the stereotype of her religion and culture was reinforced in a negative way. I found an article about the man's interview with the woman after the second photo shoot. It was funny that in the interview, the woman stated that she was actually mad that a stranger was taking her picture. Her reaction was completely different than what the man thought, and therefore the readers of the magazine got the wrong perception. The magazine published what they believed her to be, based on her appearance and situation. 
This cartoon, really got me thinking about the differences in beliefs between different cultures. Dr. Jafar talked about how both of these women are judging each other, and whether they actually have the choice to wear what they want, or is society influencing their decision. She talked about how most Muslim women are not forced to wear burqas and that is is a personal choice. They may wear it for religious purposes, or to celebrate their identity or culture. Only some countries mandate that women be covered from head to toe. This stereotype that all Muslim women don't have a choice, is a present theme associated with the Islamic religion in the media. This reminded me of the "Literacy with an Attitude" by Finn, because if people don't educate themselves about other religions and cultures, then they will continue to be ignorant. Knowledge is what we need to change a situation, and this is a good example of that. What is considered visually appealing in the United States is different from other countries. We cannot assume how a person is, if we do not know them, and the same goes for people of a different religion or gender. Each women thinks in a different way, and neither is wrong in what they choose to wear. It is society that is at fault, in making them think that others are different. I found an article, about Muslim women, and their perspectives on why they choose to wear a burqa or hijab. It is a personal clothing choice for many, and wearing it is not a form of oppression, but rather a celebration of identity.
I really enjoyed this presentation, because it opened my eyes to learn more about Muslim women, and the islamic culture. If we do not educate ourselves, then nothing will ever change and the media will continue to dominate our ideas and our right to think for ourselves.
It's funny how America knows so little about their culture and yet they criticize it. Still a shame that the photographer benefited so much from that girl yet she got nothing.
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