Excerpt:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...ushpmg00000009
WOMEN 01/25/2018 06:30 pm ET
The Only Type Of Muslim Woman Acceptable For Major Brands Is A Silent One
“White women and men are allowed to apologise and get their career back on track. Minorities on the other hand, one red card and you’re out.”
By Rowaida Abdelaziz
GETTY IMAGES
Gal Gadot, right, is hailed as a feminist icon, but Amena Khan, left, was criticized for sharing her views on the same political issue.
When L’Oreal announced it had hired Amena Khan, a British, hijab-wearing model and beauty blogger, for its latest hair care product Elvive, the company was widely applauded for it strides towards inclusion. After all, L’Oreal prides itself on “championing diversity.”
However, just four days after the announcement, Khan announced on Instagram that she was stepping down after it emerged that she’d posted a series of critical tweets about Israel four years ago. L’Oreal swiftly released a statement declaring that the company “is committed to tolerance and respect towards all people” and “we agree with her decision to step down from the campaign.”
In other words, they were not sad to see her go.
This is not the first time L’Oréal has hired and then almost immediately parted ways with a model from an underrepresented community for past social media posts. Five months ago, the company cut ties with Munroe Bergdorf, its first transgender model, over her remarks about white America’s systemic racism.
Major brands and corporations have recently been targeting Muslim women, particularly hijab-wearing Muslim women, in recent marketing attempts to showcase their diversity efforts. Nike’s launch of its Pro Hijab for female Muslim athletes and Mattel’s hijab-wearing Barbie inspired by fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad are just small examples of major corporations featuring visibly Muslim women in the name of diversity and female empowerment.
But are these efforts really all that empowering when Muslim women have to police their opinions on controversial topics?
Amani Al-Khatahtbeh found herself in a similar position just last week. The founder and editor of --------------- received Revlon’s Changemaker Award in recognition of her advocacy for Muslim women.
But Al-Khatahtbeh declined the award.
“It means so much to me when @[redacted]’s work is recognized and elevated in spaces from which we’ve been traditionally excluded,” she wrote in a caption on her Instagram post. “But that’s what makes it even more important at this moment to elevate and stand up for ALL women and
Al-Khatahtbeh said she could not accept the award because she believes the company is not inclusive. In particular, she said Revlon has given Gal Gadot, a brand ambassador for Revlon’s newest “Live Boldly” campaign, a pass when it comes to the “Wonder Woman” actress’ political beliefs. Gadot has strong opinions about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and is a vocal supporter of the Israel Defense Forces.
So why is Gadot rewarded for being an empowered woman with opinions and views of her own, while Khan loses out for sharing hers?
Amani
✔
@xoamani
Replying to @xoamani
If brands and companies want to get behind women's empowerment, they must do so for ALL of us, not just some of us -- otherwise they are only servicing women's inequality even further.
11:36 AM - Jan 22, 2018
9 9 Replies 100 100 Retweets 189 189 likes
There’s a low bar for Muslim representation in mainstream media, which often portrays the Muslim community as politicized and associates its members with war, terrorism and foreign affairs. News stories about Muslims are overwhelmingly negative.
Stories about Muslim women, in particular, often focus on oppression or on companies that feature Muslim women to advance an aesthetic of diversity. But purposeful, authentic Muslim representation, in which a Muslim woman can express her opinions freely and without consequence, is desperately missing.
When Muslim women like Khan ― who are already vastly underrepresented in the mainstream ― have any sort of visibility, it becomes conditional, and they’re forced to monitor their speech.
Nafisa/ Amaliah.com @
nafisa _Bakkar
With the whole L'Oréal thing - aren't they ultimately saying, you can have your views but just don't air them or speak them.
Just sit pretty and flick your hijab.
I really feel as though L'Oréal picked up Amena and then left her out to dry.