Twelfth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

This paper claims that the stylization and reproduction of images of veiled women in Western societies constrain these women’s rights, subject them to oppression and public discrimination, and assist with the othering that Western societies use to claim their cultural superiority over them, Muslim women. Using Stuart Hall’s model of representation and reproduction, which argues that representation is the process of producing the meaning of our mental concepts with language, this paper establishes that the iconic reproduction of images of veiled women in Western societies expresses a shared meaning against Muslim women. This research engages the theory of semiotics, which is the study of signs and signifying practices. Out of the semiotics used in the stylization and reproduction of the images of veiled women, the representation changes their basic meaning to cultural meaning. This research establishes that this practice subjects Muslim women to oppression, discrimination, and negative public scrutiny. Additionally, the research indicates that despite the cultural and religious significance of the veil in Muslim societies, Western society believes that the veil is a symbol of the oppression of the rights of these women and cultural backwardness that clashes with the cultural modernity of the West. In conclusion, this research points out that bans on veils in major Western countries such as the UK and France may influence similar decisions in the US. Such decisions may further implicate Muslim women in Western societies and contribute to their dilemma when attempting to reconcile Western cultural values and their native Islamic practices.