The Women’s March that Welcomed the Hijab as a sign of Dissidence: Pink, Rainbows, and an American-flag Hijab

Authors

  • Roaa Ali University of Birmingham

Abstract

Photographs of Muslim women wearing the American flag as hijab – or headscarf –were abundant in the media coverage of the Women’s March. These pictures were not meant to signify difference or controversy; they were rather embraced as a sign of collective activism against a newly elected president, seen by many as divisive and autocratic. Although the politics of dress concerning Muslim women, who wear the hijab or other religious identifier, has been particularly problematic of late, the recent Women’s March embraced its hijab-wearing women as part of a defiant inclusive collective. The blend of pink “pussy hats”, rainbow flags, and the different-coloured hijabs presented a united subversive narrative to that of Trump: Despite our differences, we unite to defend each other’s existence and rights. The Women’s March converted the individual markers of “otherness” into signifiers of affinity in a protest against all forms of injustice. 

Author Biography

  • Roaa Ali, University of Birmingham

    Roaa Ali completed her PhD at the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts at the University of Birmingham, The United Kingdom. Her thesis, “Arab American Drama Post 9/11: Cultural Discourses of an Othered Identity,” investigates the representation of ethnic minorities in post 9/11 American cultural scene and theatre. She taught at the University of Birmingham. Her thesis is expected to be published as a monograph by Palgrave Macmillan.

References

References

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Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck, Jane I Smith, and Kathleen M Moore. Muslim Women In America. 1st ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.

Hamze, Adam. "Muslim Women Across America Face Attacks In The Wake Of Donald Trump’S Win". The Huffington post 2017: Politics. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.

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Published

2017-05-01

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2017)

Section

Articles

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