When hijab becomes a public problem: understanding gendered Islamophobia

When hijab becomes a public problem: understanding gendered Islamophobia

The hijab is not new to controversy. It has long served as a troubling object within secular public discourse, and is repeatedly framed as a badge of backwardness, coercion, or, at worst, a dangerous religiosity. When Muslim women’s veiling is questioned, banned or interfered with in public and institutional settings, it brings out the most insidious form of Islamophobia, which should be understood as gendered Islamophobia. And these incidents d…