The Sad Stories of Muslim Women in Pictures

Last updated on: June 9, 2014 at 10:31 am by eren

The Sad Stories of Muslim Women in Pictures 2014-06-09T10:31:48-04:00 eren

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Muslim girl practising javelin by Tanya Habjouqa. Via Bag News Notes.

My dad has been an avid photographer since I can remember. As a kid I was constantly photographed with a traditional analog camera and black and white film. As a teenager, it was my dad’s passion that led me to learn professional photography through vocational education. Photographs, my dad used to tell me, are a “window” into someone else’s life. This “window” is not necessarily how they see themselves, but how the world around them perceives them.

It was not long before I started collecting photographs, published in newspapers, of the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. The post 9/11 conflicts brought back the images of Muslim women in Third World countries, which resembled those of the 80’s and early 90’s. The famous “Afghan girl” photographed by Steve McCurry set a precedent on how Muslim women of conflict and post-conflict areas would be portrayed. This famous image has been described as that of a girl whose eyes “symbolize the plight and the pain and the strength of her people.” She represents the “other:” A young woman with an uncertain future in a land permeated by conflict.

The “Afghan girl” remained nameless for several years, until the photographer went back looking for her, only to discover that she was alive and had a name! Sharbat Gula, her actual name, has become a symbol of conflict and despair as we discovered that her harsh life continues to be difficult. She is not the only one. Several Muslim women have become symbols of war, violence and despair.

In several past posts I have discussed photographs of Muslim women. There are those of female Syrian rebel fighters and anonymous Muslim women holding injured revolutionaries. Most recently, the Sydney Morning Herald published one of several collections of “Best of the world” images. Among them are the picture of an Afghan woman, resembling Sharbat Gula, who is identified as a supporter of presidential candidate Abdullah Adbullah. Another picture depicts a visibly crowded bus in Afghanistan with the caption “People travel in an overcrowded bus in Kabul, Afghanistan.” Several women are visible in the vehicle, and while they do not seem particularly surprised or irritatbed by the crowded bus, the framing suggests adversity.

Trying to locate some “happy” pictures of Muslim women among these award-winning photographs, I realized that they are rare. Women in hijabs, niqabs or in Muslim-majority countries are often depicted in violent environments or “semi-developed” settings. We need more photographs of Muslim women beyond conflict and poverty. For example, Bag News Notes has published a set of pictures taken in Palestine. Some feature Palestinian women practicing yoga and practicing javelin. Photographs of this kind deserve some attention.

Of course, the world of photography is not black and white (ironically!). My feelings of ambivalence towards some of the pictures out there are well represented by a series of photographs recently published by the World Press Photo. These pictures depict Egyptian bodybuilders with their mothers, featuring a great variety of mother-son relationships and archetypes of “Egyptian mothers.” But as interesting as the collection is, the photographs provide a commentary on gender power relations and play with the idea of “strength” vs. “weakness.” As a whole, the collection plays on contrasts between motherhood, physical strength and patriarchy that I am still trying to “digest.”

Aid, a body builder, and his mother. Photo by Denis Dailleux, via World Press Photo.

Every year, I enjoy looking at the photographic award-winner galleries, but I must be honest. I am often disappointed with the depictions of Muslim women. This is not to say that stories of war and poverty must not be told. On the contrary, these stories are important for the depicted women and the spectators. Yet, we often fail to analyze beyond the caption. It is easy to say the “Afghan girl” without explaining the roots of conflict and the role of governments around the world in perpetrating them. Likewise, it is easy to look at images of poor Muslim women struggling to survive; however, we do not stop to question the effects of, often times, unfair economic systems on vulnerable populations. I guess that’s why I like more positive pictures of Muslim women…they fail to comply with the photographic stereotypes around Muslim women and they challenge our pre-conceived notions of “underdeveloped” Muslim women in poor countries. These pictures say, “despite everything, we are here, and we are here to stay.”

Previous Post

June 6, 2014

Friday Links | June 6, 2014

Next Post

June 10, 2014 Book Review: Domestic Violence and the Islamic Tradition

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advertisements Art/Theater Books/Magazines Cinema Comics/Cartoons Culture/Society Events Fashion Film Friday Links Merchandise/Commodities MMW Announcements MMW Highlights Music/Radio News Photography Politics Profile Ramadan 2012 Ramadan 2013 Ramadan 2014 Ramadan 2015 Roundtable Satire Social Media Sports Technology/Science Television Uncategorized Video Web

Select a Month November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "To obey is better than sacrifice"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Solomon Samuel David Isaiah