First of all nothing drags more attention to a reader than a title with the word Burqa in it. This book is not about the burqa, surprise! However, using one of the most politicized and misused word It’s Not About the Burqa tries to convey what it means to be Muslim. Exploring themes in divorce, feminism, queer identity, disapproving community, and a racist community here are the voices not represented on Fox news and media platforms.

Using Muslim women as a symbol of what’s being promoted or sold (Bakar). When a Muslim woman is framed in a political light or in reference to government strategy the woman becomes synonymous with a burqa or niqab. Fashion media frames the woman as a hijabi, making the Turban hijab the symbol of the “modern” Muslim woman.

Commercialisation didn’t make hijab easier, it changed what it is. People no longer ascribe to the hijab, they ascribe to a fashion trend. The turban has become the symbol of the New Muslim Woman. A marker of success, liberation, and modernity…..

Afia Ahmad in an article on Amaliah, ‘How the Turban Hijab Became a Symbol of the Modern Muslim Woman’

The casual acceptance of the fashion world, such as creating an abaya line or Mac makeup line for suhoor, creates a false notion that Muslims are accepted (Ahmed) in mainstream society. While these representations are amazing, and it’s wonderful for Muslim women to be included in Sports Illustrated. Yet the rest of the world, including Muslims, forget that in the Fashion Capital Paris, France women can’t be openly practicing Muslims. Women in many Western European Countries like France, can’t even wear modest swimsuits. Girls are have been expelled for wearing long skirts and modest tops, for appear to “conservative” and not “French”. Quebec, Canada just past a law that forbids Muslim headwear for government offices (including shikh turbans and Jewish Yammikahs).

Every White Feminist I have come across will argue until they are blue in the face that women should have the right to decide to dress themselves. And then those same people are unwilling to stand up for a Muslim woman who wears a hijab or burqa because they ‘don’t believe in it’ or ‘feel like Muslim women are oppressed’. They can’t entirely explain or point to the oppressor.

Mariam Khan, It’s Not About the Burqa

There are many aspects to being a Muslim woman, many groupings a woman can fall into. Raifa Rafiq mentions as a Black Muslim woman in the UK she finds it hard to fit in because of the culture and racism. Rafiq mentions how some South Asians “request” that she wears salwar kameezzes and saris so she could fit in and be more “Muslim”. As someone who married into the Bengali culture, I can’t quite complain about being requested to wear traditional clothing. Yet most Eid Bazaars for new festive clothing always carry Pakistani style salwar kameezzes, dupptas, and jewelry making it hard for the none South Asians to feel accepted into the community. Mosque dinners are often just South Asian food or Arabic food. Rafiq mentions how in the UK to be Muslim you have to look “Muslim” aka look like a Pakistani male.

This book covers plenty of other important aspects of being a Muslim woman from Divorces, single parenting, and Queer identity. Each individual essay shows an individual Muslim woman’s belief and thought about being Muslim. This is a perfect book to read while drinking tea or coffee, get comfy and Read!