Arab people are usually subjected to a variety of preconceptions. From the’silly couched female’ that is portrayed as an oppressed survivor in need of a savior, to the notion that women who wear headscarves are unable to suppose for themselves or do not have any passion https://www.autostraddle.com/category/sex-and-relationships/dating/. These stereotypes are dangerous in their description of a lifestyle, but also in the method that they deny the trailblazing work of women responsibility designs across the region. Whether it is the first female mayor of a city in Iraq or the many Arab female lawmakers, these women are a clear obstacle to the tale that has been created that says Muslim women are powerless and don’t take charge of their own lives.
Studies conducted by George Gerbner, parents of Cultivation Theory, shows that negative preconceptions are cultivated through repeated media images. 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 and show ‘ a different type of femininity.’ This single israeli ladies 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.
