Conclusions and Reflections

Abstract

In a post-9/11 climate, the visibility of the veil in the public sphere marks Muslim women as particularly vulnerable to Islamophobic victimisation. However, despite their vulnerability as actual and potential victims of Islamophobia, the lived experiences of veiled Muslim women remain’ silenced’. With this in mind, the aim of our work has been twofold: first, to examine the nature of Islamophobic victimisation directed towards veiled Muslim women in public places; and secondly, to explore the impact of this victimisation upon veiled Muslim women, their families and wider Muslim communities. This chapter takes stock of the key themes to have emerged from the research findings and offers a model of vulnerability of veiled Muslim women as potential victims of Islamophobia in public that recognises the interplay of different aspects of their ‘visible’ identities with other situational factors.