Project Mentor
Dr. Hind Ahmed Zaki
Department: Political Science and Literatures, Cultures, and Languages
Research Project Overview:
TO VEIL OR NOT TO VEIL? THE HIJAB DEBATE IN POST-UPRISING EGYPT
In this research project, I provide preliminary answers to the following question: how can we explain the current wave of unveiling in Egypt? Specifically, how is it related to women’s experiences in the uprising and influenced by the place of religion and political Islam in Its aftermath? Orientalist desire to ‘see beneath the veil’ has long dominated historical discussions surrounding unveiling. Notwithstanding the controversial nature of the topic and the mixed history surrounding it, the topic of unveiling should not be off limit to careful analysis. In carrying out this study, I build upon post-colonial feminist contributions and their analysis of the symbolic functions of the veil across different projects. The data for this project draw upon semi-structured interviews, I analyze data within the prism of critical discourse analysis to investigate the impact of the political landscape and mass mobilization on women. My analysis suggests that following the uprising, women took off the veil to communicate political sentiments against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and Islamist political parties. Some women viewed the hijab as aligning with the gendered moral accountability structures imposed by SCAF and Islamist parties, and thus taking it off communicated a rejection of the official gendered rhetoric.
While the rise of Islamist currents in Egyptian society is among the factors that explain why an increasing number of women took on the veil in the decades prior to the Egyptian 2011 uprising, it is by no mean the only reason. Women began to take off the veil following the uprising, at a time when Islamist political parties controlled the parliament and the presidency. Under the current regime of al-Sisi, women continue to take off their hijab. The tone of al-Sisi regime had important implications on the place of the veil and contributed to the wave of unveiling in society. The current tone of the regime on the issue of the veil is, however, not about women’s emancipation or autonomy as the state continues to chain them with various forms of state violence. Women’s decision to put on or take off the hijab is thus shot through different meanings and is situated within a complex web of power hierarchies, personal struggles, and resistance strategies. These complex web of relations and entangled factors do not alway function in a neat and expected way. Reducing women’s experiences to a single factor erases their voices and agency and flattens the multiple meanings of hijab and veiling.
Role of a SHARE Summer Apprentice:
The research apprentice will collect secondary date that is needed for the literature review section of this project. They will work closely with Dr. Ahmed Zaki to select research material and write a 1-2 page review of them.
Summer Schedule/Time Commitment:
I am flexible in terms of hours per week and the days/hours of the week that the apprentice will commit to. I will meet regularly with the apprentice via zoom to agree on specific deadline. Ideally, I would like the desktop research and proposal for field work to be done by mid July/early August.
Preferred Qualifications:
I highly prefer a student who had taken previous coursework in gender studies, preferably with a focus on postcolonial/global feminism and or the Middle East/North Africa. Previous course work is a must and experience in the region or previous work on the region is a plus.
To Apply:
Applications are closed for this apprenticeship.
Click here to view an outline of the application questions. There are no additional questions specific to this apprenticeship application.