Week 7 - Religion and Gender

Question 1

Lowblaw’s “Memories of Marrakech” Couscous and The Veil and Views of Muslim Women

Answer 1

• stereotypes based on way Muslim women dress persist to present day and underlie many images seen in ads
• product purposely associated w/ Morocco bc couscous is grain commonly associated w/ Middle East
• President’s Choice used Orientalist thinking to sell

Question 2

Orientalism

Answer 2

• book by Edward Said
• western scholarship on the Middle East = an ideological tool of domination
• The West defines itself in opposition to a romantic other
• images of the oriental = exotic, dangerous, feminine, distant, subordinate, wild
• West creates simplistic stereotype of the Orient ans subsequent scholarship studies not actual Orient but reaffirms the stereotype

Question 3

Orient

Answer 3

implying the ‘Middle’ East as well as the Far East -> countries of the East

Question 4

Occident

Answer 4

countries of the West -> especially Europe and America

Question 5

Orientalism in the Victorian Era

Answer 5

• affected perceptions of Eastern cultures in general but also influenced views on the roles, behaviours, and statuses of women in these cultures
• Eastern women (Ottoman Empire, Persia, and broader Muslim world) often depicted as exotic ans sensual in Victorian literature, art, and travelogues
• these portrayals largely fictional and served to reinforce stereotypes

Question 6

Homa Hoodfar

Answer 6

18th and 19th century Western depictions of Muslim women often showed them living in harems, imprisioned by husbands and had nothing to do all day but beautify themselves and cater to husband’s huge sexual appetite

Question 7

Vintage North African Postcards

Answer 7

colonists made postcards using props to show Muslim women dressed which eroticized them and also portrayed them as submissive yet inaccessible

Question 8

Edward Said on “Creating” the Orient

Answer 8

• orientalist ‘creates’ the Orient through his writing which serves to legitimize and perpetuate the interests of the Western Imperialism
• helps in creation of a series of stereotypical images, according to which Europe is seen as being essentially rational, developed, humane, superior, virtuous, normal and masculine
• Orient is seen as being irrational, backward, despotic, inferior, depraved, aberrant and feminine sexuality

Question 9

Orientalism: Literature

Answer 9

Rudyard Kipling’s poem: “The White Man’s Burden” -> exemplifies colonial mindset, portraying the East as uncivilized and in need of Western intervention to “civilize” the native peoples

Question 10

Orientalism: Cinema

Answer 10

perpetuated Orientalist stereotypes presenting the East as a place of exoticism, danger, and sensuality, while also reinforcing the notion of the heroic Westerner who brings order and civilization to the religion

Question 11

Orientalism: News Coverage

Answer 11

• Western media still portrays the East, particularly the Middle East as a region of conflict, terrorism, and religion extremism, reinforcing negative stereotypes and justifying Western intervention
• Modern Western views on Muslim women often continue to be influenced by stereotypes rooted in Orientalist thought, including assumptions of oppression, passivity, and the need for liberation

Question 12

Orientalist Feminism

Answer 12

type of feminisim that advocates and supports particular foreign policies towards the Middle East
1) assumes a binary opposition btw the West and the Orient: progress vs tradition
2) regards Oriental women only as victims and not as agents of social transformation -> Muslim women need saviours, i.e. their Western sisters to liberate them
3) assumes all societies in the Orient are the same and all Muslim women there live under the same conditions

Question 13

Veiling in the Quran

Answer 13

• Hijab = more abstract sense of partition, curtain, or veil rather than referring to a specific type of clothing as covering
• the holy text addresses “ the faithful women” who are told to shield their provate parts and not to display their adornment “except what is apparent of it”

Question 14

Religion and Gender in France

Answer 14

• 2004 law - bans overt religious symbols in state/public schools
• 2010 - ban on wearing face covering headgear, masks, helments, balaclavas, niqabs and other veils covering the face in public places, except under specialized circumstances
• grounded in country’s principle of laicite (secularism), which seeks to maintain a clear separation btw state and religion
• prevent religious symbols from being worn in educational settings, where they could potentially influence the secular environment
• although law applies to all religious symbols, it has been particularly contentious in relation to Islamic dress

Question 15

Critiques in Religion and Gender in France

Answer 15

• argue policies infringe on individual rights to express religious beliefs and disproportionately impact Muslims
• bans have been seen as contributing to discrimination and isolating the Muslim population
• measures can hinder integration rather than promote secularism and equality
• targeting Muslim women raised concerns about gender discrimination and the violation of women’s rights to freedom of expression and religion

Question 16

Bill 21 Quebec’s Secularism Law

Answer 16

• Quebec first jurisdiction in NA w/ a law prohibiting women who wear the niqab or burka from reciving public services
• bans religious symbols in public sector
• bans teachers, police, judges and others from wearinf items such as hijabs, turbans, kippers, & crucifixes in the course of their duties

Question 17

Aftermath of Bill 21 Quebec’s Secularism Law

Answer 17

• challenged in court by Muslim and civil battery groups
• Quebec’s Liberal gov defended law, saying it’s not discriminating against Muslim women and necessary for reasons of security, identification, and communication

Question 18

The Hijab - A Political Symbol

Answer 18

• feminism as an ideological tool of the state; paved the way for future justifications for war to liberate women from male oppression
• gender equality = “American” value that had to be introduced in a military way
• 9/11 attacks: Muslims collectively held responsible/punished for terror
• Hijabi women were conspicuous re: discrimination and racial profiling
• war in Afghanistan - reframed as a noble war to liberate Afghan women who had to wear the burka

Question 19

Religious Feminisim and the Hijab

Answer 19

• Muslim women are challenging negative associations with Islamic dress
• “Modest Fashion” a global movement spearhead by religious women selecting stylish fashion choices and prioritizing modest dress

Question 20

The Madonna/Whore Dichotomy (MWD)

Answer 20

• “Madonnas” -> viewed as pure, saintly, and worthy of respect, often associated w/ qualities of motherhood, Chasity, and nurturing
• “Whores” -> seen as sexually liberal, desirable but not respectable, and are often objectified

Question 21

Madonna/Whore Complex

Answer 21

• psychological concept/cultural idea that splits women into 2 mutually exclusive categories: Madonnas and Whores
• 1st identified by Sigmund Freud -> reflects a split perception of women in male psyche

Question 22

Madonna/Whore - Binary Opposition

Answer 22

• can be traced to ancient Greeks through later Western literature as well as contemporary films and tv series
• still prevalent in the West this dichotomy also occurs in non-Western cultures, where female Chasity is integral to family honor

Question 23

The Virgin Mary

Answer 23

represents chasity and purity -> holds infant Jesus, while Eve lies naked w/ a serpent and fur around her hips and legs, representing sexual lust and temptation

Question 24

MWD Feminist Theory: Patriarchy

Answer 24

• ideology designed to reinforce patriarchy
  -> polarized views that women fit into 1 of 2 mutually exclusive types: Madonnas or Whores & associated sexual women w/ negative traits (ex: manipulativeness) and chaste women w/ positive traits (ex: nurturance)
• feminist argue MWD reinforces unequal gender roles, limiting women’s self expression, agency, and freedom by defining their sexual identities as fitting 1 of 2 rigid social scripts

Question 25

MWD according to Feminist Theory

Answer 25

• MWD meshes conventional scripts that men should act as sexual initiators and women as careful gatekeepers, limiting women’s sexual agency
• pressures women to follow the chaste path or be seen as unsuitable wives and mothers
• assertive female sexuality is seen as a threat and punished

Question 26

Feminist Theory: Welles

Answer 26

found that women’s concerns about getting a “bad” sexual reputation (risking percieved morality and men’s protection) predicted shame about their sexual desires

Question 27

Feminist Theory: Tolman and Tolman

Answer 27

shame about sexual desire reduces women’s sexual agency and puts women’s mental, physical, and sexual health at risk

Question 28

Sexuality in the West

Answer 28

many religious sexual prohibitions had more to do with historical political and economic factors that direct interpretations of religious texts
- Paul the Apostle: associated spirituality w/ celibacy; emphasized overcoming “desire of the flesh”
- Saint Augustine: lust was original sin of Adam and Eve; intercourse w/i marriage for procreation was only acceptable form of sexuality
- Economic Issues: controlling women’s sexuality assured that inheritance went to biological heirs (increased value of virginity, sex for any reason other than procreation w/i marriage is sinful, etc.)
- control of people’s sex lives concentrated power in the hands of the church

Question 29

Sexuality in Western Culture: Sex is Sinful

Answer 29

• since sex only for conceiving children, sexual pleasure was sinful, could send u to hell
• Sex for Procreation: reproduction only “legitimate” and “moral” reason for sex
• Rigid Gender Role Legacy: creates different expectations for males and females

Question 30

Sexuality in Western Culture: Eve vs. Mary

Answer 30

2 contradictory roles for women
- Eve: evil temptress
- Mary: a virgin mother
- increasing emphasis on Eve’s sin fostered antagonism towards women: climaxed in the witch hunts

Question 31

Sexuality in Western Culture: The Madonna/Whore Dichotomy

Answer 31

idea that women can either be maternal/nurturing or sexual, but not both

Question 32

Sexuality in Islam

Answer 32

• in scripture, sex in marriage only -> sexual urges shouldn’t be repressed but fulfilled for both sexes in a responsible manner
• some interpretations assert women are inherently more sexual than men -> this power contained by veils, segregation, female circumcision
• according to some scholars, oppression of women and many sexually related restrictions stem from patriarchal cultural traditions and fundamentalist sects, not from religion and the teachings of the Qur’an