Abstract
In a post-9/11 climate, veiled Muslim women face an increased risk of abuse and hostility by virtue of the visibility of their Muslim identity. This chapter examines the nature of Islamophobic victimisation and illustrates the different forms of abuse that veiled Muslim women experience in public. It reveals the regularity with which actual and potential victims become repeat targets of verbal and physical attacks. The chapter also uncovers ‘invisible’ forms of Islamophobic victimisation including persistent staring and stalking which are rarely recognised or acknowledged as such by victims. Crucially, recognising Islamophobic victimisation as a process signifies that it is ‘part and parcel’ of veiled Muslim women’s everyday life, and this reinforces the sense of constant risk for actual and potential victims. Although it is difficult to quantify this victimisation, the chapter identifies how commonplace these experiences are and highlights the relevance of factors such as space in terms of rendering Muslim women more or less vulnerable.
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Notes
Additionally, a couple of participants reported that they had been verbally abused on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter as well as blogs and chat rooms.
Maryam felt that although she wore the veil, people could still see her smile through her eyes. Similarly, many participants said that when they smiled, their eyes’ smiled’ too.
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© 2014 Irene Zempi and Neil Chakraborti
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Zempi, I., Chakraborti, N. (2014). Uncovering Islamophobic Victimisation. In: Islamophobia, Victimisation and the Veil. Palgrave Hate Studies. Palgrave Pivot, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137356154_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137356154_5
Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-47041-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-35615-4
eBook Packages: Palgrave Social Sciences CollectionSocial Sciences (R0)