Worn Out: Hijab, As Inspired By the Land Before Time

Thanks to Muslima Media Watch for pointing out the photo, along with a pretty astute commentary on what,
if any, statement the wearer of this hijab might have intended to make.  Personally, I want to know what that woman is saying have a feeling that whatever the (are those dreads?) sunglasses-wearing woman is saying would pro'lly make me grit my teeth in annoyance, so I should be thankful this isn't a video...

Back to the point, Tasnim of MMW posits:

"...the mohawk-hijab girl [is supposed to represent] the universal Muslim woman, constructed as a victim of dogmatic beliefs. The implication is that what she has been deprived of the right to be what she longs to be, and yet is doing her best to express herself within an oppressive environment. Admire her, or alternatively, think: this is sad/pathetic."

Tasnim goes on to point out that being goth and being religious are not actually mutually exclusive ideas, considering the goth/punk community is known to use religious iconography (examples), more specifically crosses and Christianity references...Perhaps then the reason the photo generates a response is because of the presumed binary of being Muslim and being Punk/Gothic? 

I don't know if this girl listens to MxPx or BikiniKill.  Technically we, the viewers, have NO idea what she thinks or feels, or even where this picture was taken (there were no credits that I could find).  I would not be surprised if, for many people, reconciling a young Muslim girl with a hijab styled into a liberty-spiked mohawk is jarring, simply because of the stereotypes of the 'docile and oppressed Muslim woman' clashing with the 'angry and violent mosh-pittin' punk kid'.

Regardless, I am inspired.  Not as much by what statement I think this girl is trying to make, but for her DIY fabric mohawk (which I know for SURE I could not make) and for that look she's giving to all of us, right into the camera...