Arab Women Superheroes Define Empowerment
It is dangerous to have a single version of femininity, and it is impossible to have a universal definition of empowerment for women. The U.S. media disregards this by its often narrow, Western-based depiction of female empowerment. The negative depictions of Middle Eastern citizens in the news result in a general rise in Islamophobia; many of the “hate attacks” have targeted women, who are more easily identifiable as Muslim if they chose to wear a hijab or the niqab. Recently, Middle Eastern activists have used comic strips to protest stereotypes while identifying with a critical eye the challenges that women face in their individual countries.
One comic, called Qahera, is based in Egypt, and the other, Majida’s Diaries, emerged very recently in Jordan. Qahera, which means “the conqueror,” is written by a 19-year old female art student named Deena Mohamed. Mohamed has stated that Qahera — a veiled Muslim woman who helps other women in distress — reflects her own frustrations as an Egyptian woman. Sexual violence, misogyny and Islamophobia are Mohamed’s primary concerns. Qahera physically fights men who attempt sexual abuse and make sexist comments. This comic is set against the backdrop of the harassment that occurred when women were protesting for greater rights in Egypt’s Tahrir Square, after which women turned to other forms of political expression, like Qahera, to voice their concerns. As the author of Majida’s Diaries has stated, “illustration is one of the strongest, yet most underrated, forms of communication.” Combined with a United Nations report that said 99 percent of Egyptian women have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime, this comic reveals that sexual harassment is a significant barrier to female political expression in Egypt.
Although Qahera plays the role of a superhero, she resents the idea that Middle Eastern women need to be “rescued.” One comic shows naked women trying to save Muslim women from “oppression” by protesting in front of the mosque, but Qahera reacts angrily. She reveals that the abaya she wears is not a sign of oppression, but a personal religious choice. The comic series shows Qahera with her friend Layla Magdy, who, unlike Qahera, has decided not to wear the abaya. Magdy looks up to Layla, and the clear message throughout is that an “empowered woman” in Egypt is not one who refuses to wear the hijab or has a traditional job. Instead, she is an outspoken Muslim woman who chooses to wear an abaya. Mohamed has stated that “Qahera is basically everything I long to be, and she is modelled after the countless strong women I see every day living their lives despite the challenges they face.”
Majida’s Diaries identifies sexual violence in protests as a major challenge as well, but this comic has a more academic tone. Majida’s Diaries was created just a few months ago in Jordan by male graphic designer Ahmad Qatato, who uses the comics to discuss topics like gender identity and to emphasize that everyone has a valuable mix of masculine and feminine traits. The comics focus on the marital expectations for women as Majida’s female classmates drop out of school to wed. It also reveals societal contradictions: Majida’s mother wants her to do well in school, but she also worries that Majida is too headstrong to make a good wife. Unlike Qahera, Majida wears both a hijab and Western-style clothing. Qahera employs traditional methods of crime fighting, whereas Majida uses social commentary to get her point across. One man asks Majida to marry him after she said hello to him one day, and Majida rants, “I don’t know you! Every single one of you waits for the opportunity to be in love and play Romeo. No, my dear … I am not here to love and blubber.”
The issues in these comics are distinct but related, and both speak out against the stereotypical representation of Middle Eastern women as passive and oppressed. Majida says, “we are not trying to criminalize or dismiss your good intentions … our main concern stems from the media illustration of the stereotypical Arabic woman … we’re not sitting, sadly, in a corner waiting for some culture to draw its own proximity to ours and set new criteria. With all respect to your culture, it’s not ours. We are not cultural caricatures and we both deserve to be understood in our natural context.”
The different experiences of these female protagonists demonstrate that the identity of the Middle Eastern woman is multifaceted, and women’s rights and needs must be considered in the context of their individual countries. The media’s tendency to present Arab women as disadvantaged and unable to speak for themselves is untrue and perpetuates anti-Islamic sentiment. Qahera and Majida’s Diaries were created to combat both Islamophobia and misogyny. Through these comics, Middle Eastern women are expressing the unique obstacles they face, which should be heard by both local and international audiences. These comics can serve as a form of political expression, especially when traditional forms of activism, such as protests, are dangerous for women.
The growing popularity of comics such as Qahera and Majida’s Diaries can go a long way toward offsetting the cultural stereotypes of women in the Middle East. In the best of worlds, I imagine a time when the Western media picks up on a new wave of voices that challenge our current perceptions about Arab women. U.S. policies designed to assist Arab women should also take note, employing more nuanced strategies to dispel gender-based assumptions about the Middle East.
James A. Baker III
Houston Chronicle