Muslim people are usually subjected to a variety of preconceptions. From the’silly shrouded woman’ that is portrayed as an oppressed sufferer in need of a savior, to the notion that women who wear veils are unable to assume for themselves or do not have any passion. These stereotypes are dangerous in their description of a traditions, but also in the method that they deny the trailblazing work of women responsibility concepts across the location. Whether it is the first female governor of a area in Iraq or the many Arab female lawmakers, these women are a clear concern to the storyline that has been created that says Egyptian women are powerless and may taking charge of their own lives https://www.icrw.org/.
Research conducted by George Gerbner, parents of Cultivation Theory, shows that negative prejudices are cultivated through repeated advertising representations. This is particularly true when it comes to the Arab media. During the coronavirus pandemic in 2019 for example, a large percentage of jokes circulated on social media sites reflected negatively about arab women. The’silly veiled female ‘ image was the most prominent one. Other negative images included women being illiterate, limited in intellectual capability, immoral, materialistic or opportunistic.
Dr Balaa highlights the importance of countering these stereotypes with positive portrayals of Arab women and how these are achieved in literature. She uses the example of Firdaus in Saadawi’s novel The Book of life where she is able to rebel against her rapist https://asiansbrides.com/iranian-brides and show ‘ a different type of femininity.’ This is important as it illustrates that women can face multiple forms of oppression at the same time that are not solely related to their religion or their ethnicity as Arabs.