Does this lady look angry to you?
Clipping of picture of a Muslima in niqab from today's Observer
This picture appeared in the Observer today, on page 19 of the Review section next to this article by Miranda Sawyer. The article is about a programme on the BBC World Service called Europe's Angry Young Muslims, about alienated young Muslims in Holland. As you can see, it shows a Muslim woman in a niqaab next to the quote:
'Tolerance is not a positive thing': Europe's Angry Young Muslims on the World Service
Now, the World Service is a radio station and a set of radio broadcasts in various languages. It doesn't have a TV station, and the picture does not appear on the programme's website. So the conjecture is that it's a library picture, chosen to be suitably scary next to a quote about how tolerance isn't a good thing.
The fact is, niqab has nothing to do with anger; it does not coincide with extremist groups, political groups or particularly rigid sects; in fact, not all women belonging to such groups and sects wear niqab even if some such groups have an increased proportion of women who wear it. It is a form of dress which some scholars say is compulsory and some women wear because they believe this or because they believe it preferable, or because their husbands or fathers do, or because it's the norm where they live. The use of the picture thus makes a false connection between niqab and extremism.
I'd like to encourage readers to write to the Observer's readers' editor (email: reader [at] observer.co.uk; postal address: The Observer, 3-7 Herbal Hill, London EC1R 5EJ) to make these points. You might also write a letter to the editor (letters [at] observer.co.uk with subject "letters to the Editor", fax 020 7837 7817). The Observer has a weekly corrections and clarifications section in which they post corrections to wrong statements and impressions in their articles, so if they get enough complaints, they may well publish a correction.
By all means reproduce this on websites and blogs, but do not start or forward chain emails. If you wish to re-display the image, please download and display it on your site rather than posting an image link to here, which saps my bandwidth, and let me know (indigojo_uk [at] yahoo.co.uk) in case the image needs to be taken down for legal reasons.
Comments
Salaam;
How can a niqabi look angry? All you can see are her eyes, and they don't look particularly angry to me.
Like you said, chosen simply for its scary appeal instead of for its relevance, a rather sordid newspaper tradition.
Posted by: b. | March 19, 2006 6:38 PM
I find many niqab styles threatening, as they have a square, almost robotic look to them (very dehumanizing).
The niqabi in the Observer clipping doesn't look menacing in theat way though...
Posted by: George Carty
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March 19, 2006 6:45 PM
I find many niqab styles threatening, as they have a square, almost robotic look to them (very dehumanizing).
What robots are you thinking of?
Posted by: Shamil | March 19, 2006 7:20 PM
To me she does look angry But we cant be sure so Allah hu a'lam
Posted by: Bint_Muhammad | March 20, 2006 10:29 AM
The young, Muslim woman is probably not aware of the fact that her picture has been used like this - in this context.
Posted by: Farah | March 20, 2006 1:14 PM
It is very unnerving not to be able to see someone's face.
It is wrong to equate the niqab with "extremism" in the sense of terrorism. However, in a free society, which we still are, just as she is free to wear the niqab, people should be free to point out that it is unacceptable, sinister, degrading and so forth.
Don't buy the Observer if you don't like it. And if you don't like the fact that there is a free press, well there are plenty of countries in the world without one.
Posted by: Old Pickler | March 21, 2006 12:15 AM
pRickler's off her meda again.
Posted by: DrM | March 21, 2006 9:33 AM
Thank you, Dr M, for your reasoned response to my argument. I wish I had your intelligence and your knowledge of English grammar and orthography.
Posted by: Old Pickler | March 21, 2006 10:43 AM
With all due respect DrM, I do not see much that is risible or unpleasant in the comment by Old Pickler. The sisters who choose to wear the niqab in a non-Muslim country do so with the knowledge that they will be the occasional objects of discrimination and abuse, and often have to deal with mistrust and ridicule. Nonetheless, they choose to go adapt this garment - their bravery and their faith must be applauded, and I have nothing but respect and admiration for their eeman. However, it is somewhat disingenuous for the same ladies to then turn around and complain of being perceived as an 'outsider' - surely that should have been obvious to even the more naive amongst them before they made that choice?
Posted by: Abu Abdur Rahman | March 21, 2006 11:02 AM
Europes Angry Muslims is a theme developed by the neo-cons in America last year (See Foreign Affairs magazine). Those of us who have followed the development of anti-muslim hysteria then anti-muslim legislation have seen a pattern whereby; The neo-con think tanks start an anti-muslim theme, which is then picked up by the likes of Time & Newsweek then the European right wing press, then EU govt's pass legislation against muslims. I wonder which "editor" at the BBC made the "journalistic" choice to air this programme?
Posted by: s.h | March 23, 2006 12:06 PM