ThE MuSlIM “VEIl” PoST-9/11 - Institute for Social Policy and ...

NOVEMBER 2012POLICY BRIEFthe employer ended such accommodations after 9/11. Thetemporal relationship between this changed policy and9/11 are unlikely to be a coincidence; rather, it reflects theincreased intolerance toward Muslim workers, especiallythose seeking to cover their hair.In other cases, Muslim women are having difficultyobtaining employment in the first place. In 2008, a 17-yearoldMuslim woman applied for a job at an Abercrombie &Fitch Kids store. The store manager, who recommendedher “as a very good candidate,” suggested that shewear a different color headscarf that was consistentwith the store’s “Look Policy.” After recommending her,he consulted with the district manager, who told her notto hire the applicant because she wore the headscarf. 186In late 2010, another American-born Arab womanapplied to work at Abercrombie & Fitch while wearingthe headscarf. 187 After being rejected for not having the“Abercrombie look,” the woman lamented, “[t]he interviewcrushed me because I never imagined anyone in theBay Area would reject me because of my headscarf.” 188Fearing future discrimination from prospective employers,the young woman decided to stop wearing it out of hereconomic necessity to obtain a job. 189Racial violence against Muslim womenAnother consequence of the terrorization of headscarvesresults in random acts of violence against Muslim womenracially marked as the Terrorist “other.” 190 Racism againstracial minorities has historically been expressed throughacts of violence that humiliate, maim, or kill the victim.The Muslim woman’s status as a woman deems heran easy target, one presumed incapable of physicallydefending herself against violence. Such a perceptionleaves her and any accompanying children vulnerableto physical assault. Violence committed against men isoften more lethal, and thus less frequent, because heis assumed capable of punching back. In contrast, shemay be more vulnerable to less lethal but more frequentphysical assault by individuals viscerally reacting to herheadscarf. 191 She may also experience more frequentdaily micro-aggressions, such as hostile stares, rudebehavior, dismissive statements, or outright disrespect.Cumulatively, these micro-aggressions can have adverseconsequences on her psychological well-being. 192Shortly after 9/11, several women had their headscarvesripped off and were subjected to acts of violence. 193 Whena Muslim woman reporter for a Seattle newspaper puton the headscarf to investigate how Muslim womenwere treated, she was pushed into the path of a truck. 194More than three years later, in 2004, a Muslim womanThe Muslim woman’s status as a woman deemsher an easy target, one presumed incapable ofphysically defending herself against violence.was stopped in her car by three individuals who, afterdemanding a lighter, called her “Stupid Muslims, f-ckingMuslims,” kicked her car, punched her in the face, andtore off her headscarf. 195By late 2010, the frequency of violence committedagainst Muslim women because of racial and religiousanimus became the subject of a number of news stories. 196In the span of two months, at least six reported cases ofhate crimes across the country were committed againstheadscarf-wearing women; in one case, a woman’s4-year-old son was also physically attacked. On October14, 2010, a pedestrian attacked a Staten Island womanand her toddler, punched her in the face, pulled on herscarf, asked her why she was in the country, and calledMuslims and Arabs terrorists. 197One week later in Seattle, two American citizensof Somali descent were physically attacked at a gasstation. 198 The female attacker called them suicidebombers, terrorists, and told them to go back to theircountry. 199 She then slammed the door on one of thewomen’s leg, kicked her, and pulled her headscarf. Shepushed the other one to the ground. As the womenwere screaming for help, bystanders took no action.ISPUTerrorizing the Muslim “Veil”