It seems that the only time a hijabi’s voice is valued is when she gives a testimony describing her struggle for emancipation from Islam. Otherwise, she is either lying or in denial. I found this out the hard way in the past 10 days.
Last week, I made a video for The Guardian newspaper’s website. In it, I explained how I see the hijab as a feminist statement. As far as I’m concerned this is a straightforward statement; it follows directly from my experience of the world.
“In a world where a woman’s value is often reduced to her sexual allure, what could be more empowering than rejecting that notion,” I said. “By covering up, we reject the message that women must be sexy (but not slutty), stick-thin (but still curvy), youthful (but all natural). It’s a market that pressures women to try to attain the unattainable.”
My critique of capitalism was meant to reveal two things: not all women identify with the highly eroticised and commercialised femininity in western popular culture, and capitalism’s obsession with the female body has constructed women as multinational commodities. A business’s main priority is to sell, and women’s bodies have become a tool for that goal.
Brands make a conscious effort to tap into people’s insecurities by bombarding them with contradictory images and ideas of unattainable perfection. Never before have we been fed so much “advice” as to how women’s sexuality should and shouldn’t be regulated. Advertising in public spaces is full of unrealistic images that everyone should aspire to. Commercial control of women’s sexuality is more powerful than it has ever been.
But when it comes to women who cover up, it becomes more difficult to access the insecurities that companies thrive on. The control hijabi women have over their bodies challenges existing structures. Brands have yet to master how to truly sell to hijabis. The desire to undress women seems to be less about women’s needs and all about the global market’s entitled access to women’s bodies.
My focus on the exploitation of women’s bodies in commercial culture drew a lot of criticism. Mostly from people who define the hijab by its perceived “oppression” of women. Unsurprisingly, all the critics were either non-Muslim or ex-Muslim.
My critique of commercial culture was wilfully misinterpreted as an attack on “western women” – whatever that term means. I’m a western woman too. It surprised me how quick critics were to label me as the non-western “other”. One would be forgiven for wondering whether this anti-hijab sentiment is fuelled by a desire to reject anyone who is “different”.
I was even told that my choosing the hijab was a case of “false consciousness”, thinking I wanted something when it was really against my interests. This is not only patronising, but it also overlooks the fact that many Muslim women make informed choices in their adult lives.
I am a Muslim woman who began wearing the hijab at age 21, after three to four years of research and contemplation. For those against the hijab, it seems that it simply isn’t possible to choose the hijab. The false dichotomy of “liberated western woman” vs “oppressed hijabi” is not so much about real choice, but rather about the right to make the “right” choice.
Contrary to popular belief, not all hijabis dress modestly to “protect” themselves from men’s advances. Among many other things, the hijab constitutes Muslim women’s embrace and appropriation of Islam on their own terms.
For western Muslims, the hijab symbolises a reconciliation of their Islamic faith and their western culture. While for others it is a rejection of the aggressive sexualisation of women’s bodies by capitalist culture.
But it seems that complexity is lost on critics of the hijab. To them, we must be “oppressed”.
The problem with such an Orientalist construction of hijabi women as oppressed victims is that it silences the same women affected by the debate. A woman who is oppressed is seen as someone who is not meant to have a voice, as if she has nothing to say. The only voices that contribute to the discussion are of those who do not wear the hijab. As a result, anti-hijab “feminists”, of both non-Muslim and Muslim origin, speak for hijabis rather than with them.
And this technique of speaking for and “liberating” the oppressed has been applied to serve ulterior objectives throughout history.
Critics who compare my choice to wear the hijab to a case of Stockholm syndrome – siding with my oppressor – eerily echo colonial discourse, such as the French “civilising” mission in Algeria – during which a supposedly feminist agenda, which claimed to liberate Algerian women, was in fact used to dominate the population.
The colonial approach of dominating people through social control can be compared to contemporary neoconservative projects that are used to justify attacks on Islam.
In an interview on secularism and racism in France, author Olivier Roy argued that “social control happens through the control of women’s bodies, but under the pretext that this control serves to free the alienated Muslim women”. The rejection of the hijab, or the veil, is spurred on by political and economic agendas, rather than being motivated by any real concern for women.
Respecting the choice of Muslim women to wear the hijab does not mean that we ignore the plight of those who are indeed oppressed. It is not wrong to worry about the coercion of young women into wearing headscarves. It saddens me that I have to make explicit something that should be assumed: recognising and fighting genuine oppression is absolutely crucial.
However, real concern for the welfare of Muslim women should not be used to further an agenda that ultimately oppresses the very people it claims to defend. Pressure to not wear the hijab is just as oppressive as pressure to wear the hijab.
By refusing to respect a woman’s decision to don the hijab, we belittle her choice. Critics have attempted to dismiss my points by drawing a contrast between the hijab as a feminist statement and women who campaigned for basic human rights, such as better health care and abortion rights. To separate these causes, in an attempt to trivialise the argument in favour of the hijab, is to go against the broader struggle for equality.
Assumptions that people make about hijabis have made it difficult for Muslim women to find social acceptance and employment. Research shows that many western Muslim women feel under pressure to change their appearance for work, to downplay any visible ethnic or religious differences. Forgive me for thinking that social acceptance and employment for women is as much of a necessity as health care.
I am in no way demanding that the hijab be seen as the model of female emancipation. Instead, I ask people to stop labelling us all as oppressed simply because we refuse to accept the supermodel as our model. The prejudice faced by Muslim women is only the tip of an iceberg of broader intersecting social issues such as sexism, racism and religious discrimination.
Hanna Yusuf is a freelance writer with an interest in feminism and interfaith matters
On Twitter: @han_ysf.
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine 2.4L four-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.4L/100km
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Indika
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if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
Company%20Profile
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.