The Experience of Muslim Women In The European Union

By just mentioning the words “muslim women”, and including them within the context of the European Union, one may already feel on the edge of their seat. In fact, the political debate around Muslim women has been extremely broad and complex, and saturated with disputes. For instance, the controversy around the ban of the Hijab in France represents one of the most commonly known examples in contemporary EU society. Why did Europe come to such a ban? Doesn’t it go against the mainstream, liberal ideology that surrounds individual freedom? what about “my body, my choice”?

Photo by Hasan Almasi on Unsplash

With this is mind, I started wondering why, in today’s globalized and modern society, Muslim women are seen as powerless victims of patriarchal Islam. From here, I dove deep into the rabbit hole of literature written by Muslim women, in order to understand why they have to engage in political debates every time they’re out in public; this could be done by analyzing the multiple grounds of marginalization that these women have to face in the EU.

The aim is then to provide informational content through an intersectional approach, enriching awareness, as well as a somewhat thorough understanding of the discrimination that these women have to undergo.


Muslim women and the EU


Photo by Jawad Jawahir on Unsplash

There is a general consenus on the presence of political and ideological differences in European values, which  generate institutional, systemic othering and (even involuntary) discrimination against Muslim women. In fact, since these women are related to Europe’s colonial past, some vices still persist now when addressing this marginalized group.

Significance of intersectionality

Why do we need to put an extra focus on these women? 

These people are not just women, but they also belong to a religion that has been considered extremely distant, and sometimes even opposing to the secular, European ideals. For this reason, the underlying characteristics of Islamophobia related specifically to women are deeply interconnected. In fact, an intersectional lens is fundamental when studying this group, because the intersection between identity markers, such as race and gender, generates multiple layers of discrimination (or privilege) within our society. In this case, we have Muslim women, who face discrimination based on both gender and religion up to institutional level.

Role of politics

Although no one would like to be treated differently by just dressing in a certain way (i.e. wearing the Hijab), it is unfortunately the reality for Muslim women.  In fact, women that wear the Hijab give an obvious expression of religious belonging. This becomes a problem when the environment in which they live does not accept that. In this case, the environment is the neoliberal EU, which strongly enforces the idea of secularization. As a consequence, we have liberals on the one side, preaching market rationality for all realms of life, and right-wing populists on the other.

Photo by mostafa meraji on Unsplash

As of lately, right-wing parties have carried on a discriminating, anti-Islam narrative to define Europe; in fact, especially since 9/11, the colonial thinking of European superiority has resurfaced. Beyond doubt, the only presence of Muslim women in Europe startles the member states, because they allegedly go against their fundamental values. Admittedly, whether it be from the right or from the left, Muslim women have to deal with being pressured into European ideals.

Imperialist feminism?

The two words “imperialist” and “feminism” kind of sound like an paradox. However, the experience of Muslim women in Europe has proven that this phenomenon actually exists, and that it has a multiple, intersectional consequences. Indeed, liberal feminism has a role in the construction of the “oppressed muslim woman”, and it is closely linked to the neoliberal denial of gender inequalities in Europe. In fact, Muslim women are used as instruments when making comparisons with Europe, having them carry the burden of gender oppression.

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

This happens because Western, patriarchal societies refuse to acknowledge structural constraints based on gender, so it becomes easier for them to project them onto the muslim “other”. This being said, this feminist disarticulation mixed with Orientalism causes a multi-layered, or intersectional, discrimination against Muslim women. In order to solve this issue, Muslim women in Europe have been actively engaging in the reaffirmation of traditional values, but there is still a long way to go in regards to changing the patriarchal character of European society.

Where this leaves us

As we have now understood more in depth, Muslim women have to go through a lot everyday, and for many different reasons. Because of our long-lasting, patriarchal history and societal customs, there has been an enduring marginalization from both ends of the political spectrum against these women. Put more generally, discrimination against women is characterized by multiple and intersectional nuances, depending on factors such as history, geography, culture, and religion.

Photo by Mehdi Sepehri on Unsplash

For this reason, studying the experience of Muslim women in the European Union may be useful, not only to thoroughly understand such a relevant and complex matter, but also to enrich the understanding surrounding discrimination against women in general. For this reason, there is a need for a reform concerning the knowledge and representation of Muslim women.

6 responses to “The Experience of Muslim Women In The European Union”

  1. panis Avatar
    panis

    I thought this blog was super interesting and very relevant in today’s society, and I think you also explain the relevance well in your blog.
    I like the lay out and the style of your blog, however I think that you can add a few more subtitles, especially in the beginning of the blog.
    One thing I really urge you to change is to use less academic jargon in your blog. I think the blog is meant to explain difficult topics in an easier way, so that everybody understands. So if you use terms like “othering” or “intersectionality” I would either explain them or use easier terms.
    But overall this was really interesting and I also liked how you stated what still needs to happen to gain respect for Muslim women. I think this is a topic that is very important and more people need to know about so I really enjoyed reading your blog!

    1. mazzetti Avatar
      mazzetti

      Hi Hielke!
      Thak you for taking the time to read my post, and to engage and reflect on it. I’m happy that you enjoyed reading it, and I greatly appreciate your feedback. I understand that I should break the text more, in order to make it more flowy and engaging for the readers. And about the academic tone, I totally understand that it should be minimized, so that more people could be able to easily access this information. I’ll certainly be more careful with the selection of my words, so that it can be more reachable. However, for some specific words that cannot be paraphrased, I made sure to include hyperlinks with thorough explanations, which may be interesting if one wishes to expand their knowledge on the topic.
      Thanks again for your words!

  2. brosemer Avatar
    brosemer

    Hi Alice,
    Firstly, I like the way you wrote its straight to the point, I would use less “jargon” as said in another comment, but your structure is clear and concise.
    However, I wouldn’t use the example of France that you have in your intro. France did not ban the Hijab, it banned any clothing that completely covers the face of any individual in public spaces, not even mentioning Islam in the text of the law. Furthermore, the Hijab is only on the head, the niqab and burqa are forbidden because of this law, as they cover the face.
    I would also emphasize the work of the EU in including Muslims, through campaigns, advertising spots, etc, to show the picture isn’t fully black or white.
    Other than that I enjoyed reading your post on an interesting topic!

    1. mazzetti Avatar
      mazzetti

      Hello Thomas,
      Thank you very much for your comment! I highly appreciate your constructive words. In regards to the France example that I put, I understand the misunderstanding. The way I phrased it may have been misleading, since I over-simplified this complex event. In fact, I made a broad generalization, athough France did ban the Hijab in public schools in 2004, and as of right now employers in France have the right to refuse employment to people who wear religious symbols, including the Hijab (for more info, you can check out this post https://moodbelle.com/is-it-legal-to-wear-hijab-in-france ). Also, addressing the lack of references to Islam, I would suggest you to read the article “Unveiling Complex Discrimination at the Court of Justice of the European Union: the Islamic Headscarf at Work” by Guitierrez and Journoud; in a nutshell, it explains how these banning laws have actually affected Muslim women the most, and for this there have been many controversial political debates.
      But thank you again for your input, I greatly appreciate it! And I hope you’ll find this extra material useful : )

  3. samson Avatar
    samson

    Hi Alice!
    I think your topic is very interesting and relevant, especially in the context of the new extreme right wing political parties rising in different EU countries.
    I find your post very well written. You use very relevant and contemporary examples. For me, the most interesting part is the one in which you talk about “imperialist feminism”. This paradox deserves to be noted and explained. However, as said in the other comments, I think you could try to make your blog post a little more accessible, using less specific terms. It would be wise to simplify some of the terms so that your topic can be understood by everyone!
    I really enjoyed reading you.

    1. mazzetti Avatar
      mazzetti

      Hi Charlotte,
      Thank you for your engagement with my post! I’m thankful for your remarks regarding the content, and I’m glad that I could provide some interesting information for you. And thank you for your honesty in regards to the style of my post! I really care about accessibility of knowledge, so I’ll definitely look into the terms that I used, so that I can adapt them for a broader audience. Thanks again for your observations!

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6 Replies to “The Experience of Muslim Women In The European Union”

  1. I thought this blog was super interesting and very relevant in today’s society, and I think you also explain the relevance well in your blog.
    I like the lay out and the style of your blog, however I think that you can add a few more subtitles, especially in the beginning of the blog.
    One thing I really urge you to change is to use less academic jargon in your blog. I think the blog is meant to explain difficult topics in an easier way, so that everybody understands. So if you use terms like “othering” or “intersectionality” I would either explain them or use easier terms.
    But overall this was really interesting and I also liked how you stated what still needs to happen to gain respect for Muslim women. I think this is a topic that is very important and more people need to know about so I really enjoyed reading your blog!

    1. Hi Hielke!
      Thak you for taking the time to read my post, and to engage and reflect on it. I’m happy that you enjoyed reading it, and I greatly appreciate your feedback. I understand that I should break the text more, in order to make it more flowy and engaging for the readers. And about the academic tone, I totally understand that it should be minimized, so that more people could be able to easily access this information. I’ll certainly be more careful with the selection of my words, so that it can be more reachable. However, for some specific words that cannot be paraphrased, I made sure to include hyperlinks with thorough explanations, which may be interesting if one wishes to expand their knowledge on the topic.
      Thanks again for your words!

  2. Hi Alice,
    Firstly, I like the way you wrote its straight to the point, I would use less “jargon” as said in another comment, but your structure is clear and concise.
    However, I wouldn’t use the example of France that you have in your intro. France did not ban the Hijab, it banned any clothing that completely covers the face of any individual in public spaces, not even mentioning Islam in the text of the law. Furthermore, the Hijab is only on the head, the niqab and burqa are forbidden because of this law, as they cover the face.
    I would also emphasize the work of the EU in including Muslims, through campaigns, advertising spots, etc, to show the picture isn’t fully black or white.
    Other than that I enjoyed reading your post on an interesting topic!

    1. Hello Thomas,
      Thank you very much for your comment! I highly appreciate your constructive words. In regards to the France example that I put, I understand the misunderstanding. The way I phrased it may have been misleading, since I over-simplified this complex event. In fact, I made a broad generalization, athough France did ban the Hijab in public schools in 2004, and as of right now employers in France have the right to refuse employment to people who wear religious symbols, including the Hijab (for more info, you can check out this post https://moodbelle.com/is-it-legal-to-wear-hijab-in-france ). Also, addressing the lack of references to Islam, I would suggest you to read the article “Unveiling Complex Discrimination at the Court of Justice of the European Union: the Islamic Headscarf at Work” by Guitierrez and Journoud; in a nutshell, it explains how these banning laws have actually affected Muslim women the most, and for this there have been many controversial political debates.
      But thank you again for your input, I greatly appreciate it! And I hope you’ll find this extra material useful : )

  3. Hi Alice!
    I think your topic is very interesting and relevant, especially in the context of the new extreme right wing political parties rising in different EU countries.
    I find your post very well written. You use very relevant and contemporary examples. For me, the most interesting part is the one in which you talk about “imperialist feminism”. This paradox deserves to be noted and explained. However, as said in the other comments, I think you could try to make your blog post a little more accessible, using less specific terms. It would be wise to simplify some of the terms so that your topic can be understood by everyone!
    I really enjoyed reading you.

    1. Hi Charlotte,
      Thank you for your engagement with my post! I’m thankful for your remarks regarding the content, and I’m glad that I could provide some interesting information for you. And thank you for your honesty in regards to the style of my post! I really care about accessibility of knowledge, so I’ll definitely look into the terms that I used, so that I can adapt them for a broader audience. Thanks again for your observations!

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