hijab
Mona Haydar’s new music video uses rap to demystify the hijab.
Over the last year, emoji developers and public figures have argued that the universal emoji keyboard makes it difficult, if not impossible, for women to represent themselves beyond a bride or princess. Recent successful proposals will rectify that problem by offering dozens of new female characters who do things like work in tech, ride a bike, lift weights and weld.
In 2014, France’s ban on the burqa and niqab — versions of the veil worn by many Muslim women to cover their heads and their bodies — ignited a firestorm of criticism of how lawmakers continue to censor women’s bodies and how that very censorship simultaneously reflects and fuels increased fear in Europe.
This week in public diplomacy, we looked at how culture is being used to redefine the 'coolness' of countries through gastrodiplomacy, music, art, and fashion.
For many Muslim women around the world, the hijab — the scarf covering their hair — is not just a religious accouterment but also a symbol of their identity. Young Muslim women are posting pictures of themselves in their hijabs on Instagram, inspiring large followings and placing more emphasis on the traditional headpiece as a fashion statement.
Dozens of women in Iran are flouting state-imposed dress rules with online, often anonymous photographs showing them dropping their headscarf for a moment. In only 10 days, a Facebook page titled “Stealthy Freedoms of Women in Iran” has received more than 100 such photos and 146,000 expressions of support. The page’s organizers say they want to fuel debate on the government-mandated hijab head-covering, which is often enforced by local militias with beatings or detention for women suspected of following loose Western ways.
Canada is widely hailed as a multicultural success state. As the first country to adopt multiculturalism as official policy, and with high rates of integration among immigrant populations, it is often looked at as a model to be followed. Recently, though, the French province of Quebec has dented this global reputation with the introduction of Bill 60, popularly known as the Quebec Charter of Values.
Italy’s Emma Bonino was the first EU foreign minister to make an official visit to Tehran after Iran and the six powers signed an interim agreement on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. She landed in Tehran on December 21 after years when Western foreign ministers refused to set foot in the Iranian capital.