Muslim Ladies and Stereotypes

Arab ladies are typically subjected to a variety of preconceptions. From the’silly couched girl’ that is portrayed as an oppressed target in need of a lord israeli wife, to the notion that women who wear hijabs are unable to consider for themselves or do not have any passion. These preconceptions are dangerous in their portrayal of a culture, but also in the means that they deny the trailblazing work of women function types across the place. Whether it is the first female president of a capital in Iraq or the many Arab female politicians, these women are a clear challenge to the narrative that has been created that says Egyptian women are powerless and cannot consider charge of their own lives.

Research conducted by George Gerbner https://nwhn.org/other-resources/, parents of Cultivation Theory, shows that unfavorable preconceptions are cultivated through repeated media representations. 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 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.