Muslim girls are generally subjected to a variety of preconceptions. From the’silly shrouded women’ that is portrayed as an oppressed prey in need of a savior, to the notion that women who wear hijabs are unable to think for themselves or do not have any ambition https://www.zoosk.com/date-mix/online-dating/tips-for-online-dating/. These stereotypes are dangerous in their description of a culture, but also in the way that they deny the trailblazing work of women position models across the place. Whether it is the first female mayor of a metropolis in Iraq or the many Muslim female lawmakers, these women are a clear challenge to the tale that has been created that says Muslim women are useless and cannot take charge of their own lives.
Studies conducted by George Gerbner, father of Cultivation Theory, shows that damaging prejudices are cultivated through repeated press images. This is particularly true when it comes to the Arab media. During the coronavirus pandemic in 2019 for example, a large percentage of jokes circulated on social media sites reflected negatively about arab women. The’silly veiled female ‘ image was the most prominent one. Other negative images included women being illiterate, limited in intellectual capability, immoral, materialistic or opportunistic.
Dr Balaa highlights the importance of countering these stereotypes with positive portrayals of Arab women and how these are achieved in literature. She uses the example of Firdaus in Saadawi’s novel The Book of life where she is able to rebel against her israeli brides rapist and show ‘ a different type of femininity.’ This is important as it illustrates that women can face multiple forms of oppression at the same time that are not solely related to their religion or their ethnicity as Arabs.
