Final Project: Being Muslim In America; The Women's Perspective

The American film director, writer, and producer Wes Craven once said, “Stories and narratives are one of the most powerful things in humanity. They are devices for dealing with

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the chaotic danger of existence.” The most important thing I learned this semester was the power one holds in creating their own narrative and story. I have also learned if one does not share their own story, someone else will share it and the possibility of further perpetuating stereotypes and misunderstanding is much greater. Therefore I decided to create a magazine that gives voice to the community of Muslim Women in America in order to challenge the stereotype of the oppressed muslim women.

When creating the magazine there was a lot at stake because I was not only doing this to

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share my understanding but the collective perspective of a community. A community that is tired of hearing the narrative that they are oppressed, that they need saving, and that their religion or culture is the cause of all evil. This narrative is the main understanding of all Muslim women even those that live in America who clearly have different experiences than those living in Muslim-Majority countries. My hope for the magazine is that it can give insight into the perspectives and stories of a few individuals that are part of greater community to show that not only are our voices present but there's more to us than what the media says. The magazine consists of articles, poems, photographs, an interview, and a section on motherhood. The articles highlight the different perspectives within the community. The poems show the lived experiences of individuals. The photographs are a visual element that allow the reader to see the young women through her own lense. I interviewed an Adjunct Lecturer at Hunter College, so we could see a Muslim woman thriving in an environment where they are usually not recognized. Lastly, the section on motherhood came about by accident. I was asking my friends who their role models were and the majority of them said that it was their moms, because they play such a vital role in their development to womanhood. So. I asked a few individuals to share what their mothers mean to them or anything they’ve learned from them. The result are the last few pages in the magazine.

Overall, it has been an amazing experience to create such a magazine. When I was talking about this project to the women in my community I noticed that there was a great interest and excitement around the success of the magazine. Although I was expecting support from my friends and family it was only after finishing the magazine was I able to fully understand what this meant to the community. The magazine allows for these women to recognize themselves in media and to be able to see someone like themselves leading that way. I don’t say this out narcissism but rather through a feeling of great humbleness, it is an honor to share the stories, perspective, and experiences of the women in my community.

Final Project: Being Muslim In America; The Women's Perspective

Sources

“How The Depiction Of Muslim Women In Media Dehumanizes Them.” The Odyssey Online, 4 Sept. 2017,www.theodysseyonline.com/how-the-binary-depiction-of-muslim-women-in-media-can-dehumanize-them

Lorde, Audre. The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action. 1977, p. 43.

Mastro, Megan A. “The Mainstream Misrepresentation of Muslim Women in the Media.” Gettysburg College, 2016.

“Qahera - The hijabi superheroine (Kicking misogyny's butt since 2013).” Young Feminist Wire, 14 Feb. 2014, yfa.awid.org/2014/02/qahera-the-hijabi-superheroine-kicking-misogynys-butt-since-2013/.