Redefining #YourAverageMuslim woman: Muslim female digital activism on social media

Abstract

Orientalist discourses have largely shaped how Muslim women have come to be represented in western visual media as oppressed, subjugated or foreign. However, with the advent of social media platforms, Muslim women are utilizing social media spaces to rearticulate the controlling images promulgated through orientalist narratives. This article examines the complex relationship visual media shares with Muslim women and demonstrates that the lens of orientalism continues to structure the imaginaries that shape visual representations of Muslim women in art, news and film. This article addresses how visual platforms and social media spaces such as YouTube are being utilized by Muslim women to undertake digital activism that seeks to subvert essentialist narratives. At the centre of this discussion is YouTuber Dina Tokio’s (2017) documentary, titled ‘#YourAverageMuslim’, which tackles western preconceived notions, and instead offers a redefined version of the ‘Muslim woman’ predicated on resisting three narratives: (1) Muslim-Woman-As-Oppressed, (2) Muslim-Woman-As-Subjugated and (3) Muslim-Woman-As-Foreign-Other. This documentary clearly demonstrates how Muslim women are using social media platforms in specific ways to shape the discourses around Muslim women. In doing so they are demonstrating their agentic capabilities, taking control of their representations, and speaking for themselves instead of being spoken for by others.

“I Can be Who I Am When I Play Tekken 7”: E-sports Women Participants from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

“…This will aid in untangling intersecting forces and shaping participants' experiences (Harper, 2013). Scholars have previously attempted to understand various sociological forces that affect Muslim women's participation in the digital environment and leisure activities (Islam, 2019;Hussain & Cunningham, 2020). For instance, Nakamura (2002b) highlighted that Muslim women's low participation in recreational sports is because of the difference in the ideological beliefs of the Western sporting paradigm and Islamic sporting framework.…”

Rethinking child and youth activism in challenging times

“…Aldana et al., 2019; Honwana, 2019; Hope et al., 2016; May et al., 2022; Nairn et al., 2021; Negrón‐Gonzales, 2015), activism on gender‐related issues (e.g. Coe, 2015; Iskander & Shabtay, 2018; McGlashan & Fitzpatrick, 2017; Taft, 2017), child labour (Taft, 2019; Taft, 2022) or digital activism (Islam, 2019; Stornaiuolo & Thomas, 2017; Tisdall & Cuevas‐Parra, 2022).…”

Religious Digital Literacy of Urban Muslim Society in Indonesia: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Research related to religious digital literacy has been conducted by many researchers, including research from Zaid on "Digital Islam and Muslim Millennials: How Social Media Influencers Reorganize Religious Authority and Islamic Practice" (Zaid et al, 2022). There is also research from Inaash Islam with "Redefining #YourAverageMuslim woman: Muslim female digital activism on social media" (Islam, 2019). Another research is from Hashmi on "Representations of Islam in social media: a systematic review" (Hashmi et al, 2021).…”