Islam - Women in Islam

Exploring the Hijab

Many Americans recognize that the Hijab is an expression of Islam, yet there is still little understanding behind the meaning of wearing a veil. Part of that is because Muslim women themselves have a wide variety of opinions on wearing a veil. Some see it as a sign of liberation; others see it as a sign of oppression. The Washington Post published an editorial where two Muslim women challenge many people's assumptions of what a hijab actual is. UpFront Magazine also has an article about Quebec's anti-veil law.
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Mipsterz - Smashing Assumptions w/ Fashion

While much of Western media has promoted an Orientalist perspective when it comes to portraying Muslims, multiple groups have begun to disrupt those images. One of the more controversial attempts at this is a group known as Mipsterz, which is short for Muslim hispters. A few years ago, they released a music video (watch below) that sought to re-frame the conversation on Muslim Americans. While there were many people who applauded the video, there were also many people who were upset by it. NPR's Code Switch & the Huffington Post both do a great job of capturing voices on both sides of the debate. The Guardian even joins the fun with an extremely light-hearted overview of the group. The whole controversy begs the question - who gets to decide how religious identity should ​be expressed?

Competing Viewpoints in France

How do these videos add your understanding of Islam? What things are they corroborating or confirming? What are the things they are disrupting or challenging?

BONUS! A quick video on the Mother of Islam

Here's a quick video to introduce the "mother of Islam", Khadija. For those interested, here are some additional readings:
These are probably 4 of the most accessible texts for high schoolers. Note that most of these were written by Christians. It really makes me think about how Reza Aslan was constantly questioned about the validity of a Muslim writing about Jesus.