Unveiling Assumptions: Photography, Word Politics, and the Hijab

Abstract

Geopolitical events shape the lenses through which we view the world around us. Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the World Trade Center attacks of 11 September 2001, the Western world has observed the Middle East, and particularly the Islamic religion, with increasing distrust, disapproval, and fear. This ongoing shift in cultural and religious identifications is accompanied by the appropriation of foreign cultural and religious symbols, specifically the hijab. Theoretically grounded in the works of Edward Said, Sharon Crowley, and John Berger, this essay examines the hegemonic discourses that inform photographic representations of the hijab and considers how photography could instead inspire purposeful conversations and the positive negotiation of differences