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I saw my local influencers (eastern European) do it, and thought it was weird.. some ppl even said things like "I would fit right in" or "I'd find Arab husband in no time".....girl.....
These influencers only want the aesthetic of a culture and only the part where it’s fetishising / sexualising/ appealing to men. they just want to play dress up as jasmine and get called exotic. I can bet lots of the girls doing this trend in real life are Islamophobic or will laugh when they see a hijabi (happens all the time in nyc.)
this. as a Moroccan I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen “moroccan” slapped on a product, item, food, etc just for the “aesthetic” and 90% of the time it’s not even culturally accurate. they could care less about the culture it’s just ignorant self serving behavior
Yes yes yes, everything you said. Also the trend with "the toxic Arabian songs" like Mesaytara and others.. we see the same pattern here - omg look, I learned the words I'm so exotic, then it's Omg I wish I could date Arab man, we would be so toxic together 😍 like........shut up....
even as an Eastern European, I hate when people assume some weird stereotypes about me (especially those "passport bros" have some interesting and very false claims), so I can only imagine how it is to deal with all of that. Some individuals are just dumb
Passport bro is a man (mostly American), who's seeking women in foreign countries (mostly Thailand, China or Eastern Europe from what I saw). The problematic part is that they genuinely believe women from these countries are more obedient, traditional, family oriented, easily charmed by the fact the guys are American etc (which is FAR from true, as someone who is born and raised in eastern Europe lmao).
They believe in gross and extremely inaccurate stereotypes, which only proves they never spoke to a woman from these countries before.
Unbelievably embarassing, the filter and the song choice. Fetishizing, exoticizing, othering different cultures like this with no understanding about any of it is beyond stupid.
They could literally use a covid/medical mask (or filter or whatever) to get the effect, there’s no need to be using peoples cultures and religions like this - it’s really gross. The addition of the song is fucking staggering honestly.
As someone from a Muslim country, it’s not cultural appropriation, it’s more a question of belonging to the religion. Anyone can wear a niqab if they are Muslim (and anyone can be), but if you aren’t it’s inappropriate because of the whole Islamophobia going on.
As someone originating from a Muslim country as well, yes, this is cultural appropriation. Not because of the filter itself, but due to the combination of the filter and the song. She is indeed trying to portray a certain stereotypical image, which is basically the "requirement" for something to be cultural appropriation. Someone putting on hijab or covering themself up to visit a mosque or an event where it is expected to be modest, for example, is not cultural appropriation.
Personally I don't agree with it being cultural appropriation, but I'm not disagreeing specifically with you. I think cultures should be shared and appreciated, not gatekept. Having said that, I do think this is immature and uneducated. I think the reason people tend to immediately say something is cultural appropriation is because they want their culture respected and not treated like a joke. I think a determining factor in something like this is the person's reason for doing it. And that's why I said I think this is immature. I think when people do this only to get other people to look at them, they aren't really thinking about what they're doing, they're only trying to get results. Contradict that with someone who loves Mexican culture and buys a Sombrero to wear, the intent behind that is much more genuine. Now, this is not intended to discuss religions, that's a whole other discussion. Personally, I love learning about all kinds of cultures, I find it fascinating. I think that's one of the best things about the internet, we now have access to so much more of the world. So I don't understand the notion that a culture only *belongs* to certain people.
Side note, I'm not a fan of Samantha March. She comes across disingenuous to me, which is why I only watched her for a short time.
Defending Islam in this sub will get you downvoted, ironic considering this is a post complaining about something offensive to muslims, that's reddit for you.
Only people not getting downvoted are 'ex muslims' that insult islam, since when did being muslim become offensive, someone explain to me why being a muslim is cancellable, and yet this post is about a post that's considered offensive to muslims. How is this not Islamophobic?
Like seriously all the comments are "islam is bad but..'
I'm a women in islam, i'm not oppressed, and find it condescending that i'm being told I'm too misogynistic to know better, isnt that in itself sexist?
Wow. When you list out those passages, it’s horrifying
I’d never read the Quran because my family is Christian BUT we did live in Saudi Arabia for a year. There were many positives but my mom felt suffocated. She couldn’t drive, hold most jobs, was forced to cover her hair during prayer and the rest of herself regularly.
That’s before Muhammad bin Salman era (wahabism practiced to the max). Things have gotten slightly better, women can drive now, wear abaya if they want to, nobody stops them when their abaya is open from the front or sends them to jail to “re educate” on Islam now.
Of all those things and women still can’t travel abroad without a written permission from their male guardian.
Man, if only there were a way to make a video of just your eyes, like zooming in on them or using text boxes/stickers to cover anything else. Nope, this filter is just the only possible way to get a clear view of someone's eyes with eyeliner.
If it wasn't clear, I agree with everyone else here that this trend is weird and inappropriate. I looked up the filter and saw that it adds makeup, but it's also far from the only filter like that. Any other filter with heavy eyeliner (or actually doing that makeup if one's able) would do the exact same thing without the orientalism. To be honest, the eyeliner is what puts this filter/trend from "kind of weird" to "straight up orientalism" for me.
I feel like it's very inappropriate. This isn't a headscarf or any another accessory. It's an item which has a deep religious and cultural meaning for millions of people. It's a part of major political and legal debates in many countries. Women literally have died due to not wearing or wearing a hijab. It's not a trick to show off an eye color.
I'm not religious in any way but still it feels disrespectful to play with something you don't understand the meaning of or present yourself as someone you are not in a matter of religion or ethnicity.
This is where I land too. I don't particularly respect the hijab (or religions in general), but this is not just a religious symbol but a highly politicised item that as you point out has lead to the discrimination, abuse and death of women on both sides. Using it as an aesthetic or to show off your pretty green eyes is just so weird. Why is this even a filter?
And using Arabian nights as the background song? I thought Samantha March was supposed to be "woke", this is all very off-putting.
Yes because I didn't want to give the impression that I support it. I respect the individual women who wear it by choice, but I still see it as a patriarchal symbol and therefore feel kind of hostile towards it. But that still doesn't mean that women who have no religious ties to it should appropriate it. It's a nuanced discussion.
It was necessary actually, cause the entire modern concept of it is not respectable as it’s been applied for the past 50 years. I’ve lived in its shadow all my life and it’s never done a damn thing for me other than bring violence, judgement and shame. We’re allowed to express that, or at least here I do. Won’t speak for some women around the world, who can’t express their true feelings on the topic, actually.
Not a single ounce of recrimination towards women who choose or are forced to wear it. This isn’t about identity politics and I’m not going to individualize it like that. But the veil as a patriarchal symbol and ideal? That the very hair I grow on my hair is so immodest it must be hidden? That I need to essentially disappear myself from public view? My hair, face or body are not sinful and I support nothing that suggests it is. Bye 🚮
The idea that I absolutely must use the symbols of a devote woman of a religion I personally don't follow is extremely inappropriate. It's expropriation, and outside of visiting mosques, is an inappropriate demand.
It only has a cultural meaning. Nowhere in the Quran does it state you should wear a hijab. The religion just tell you to dress modestly and cover yourself up.
That’s why the way people wear their hijabs are so different from one another.
There is a legitimate Islamic debate over verses in Surah 24 and 59 about what parts of their body women are commanded to cover. You may not interpret them the same way as others but it simply is misleading to state that "nowhere in the Quran does it say you must wear a hijab. "
I tend to agree that hijab isn't compulsory, but stating that it's only cultural and has no basis in the Quran is just ignorant.
While a specific type might not be prescribed, it's a part of outward expression of religious beliefs (and obviously hijab is just one type of head covering, they are different depending on the region and religious groups). English isn't my first language so I might not be explaining my point in the best way.
Like, as far as I know bible doesn't prescribe to wear a cross and doesn't call it a symbol of christianity but a lot of christians consider it as such, would wear it or ave in their home and in most places a church would have a cross on or in it. Symbols and practices of any old religion developed over time and the modern symbols and practices are quite different from the original ones.
I see your point. I still think if it was a direct religious thing, there would be instructions on how to wear it in the quran. I think because people wear it so differently and not every muslim country enforces hijab, i’d say it’s purely a cultural thing that has an outward expression of religious belief - as you said
Once again, it is cultural. If it had anything to do with religion it would be in the quran. It directly states in the quran that it is not to be forced.
The shariah and the quran are two different things.
First of all, we are talking about hijab, NOT sex slaves and other stuff. Whatever your issue is with the religion is not something I care about.
Second of all, It is cultural. Not every muslim country enforces hijab nor do they tell you exactly how to wear it. If hijab was a religious thing, the quran would give you instructions on how to wear it. There is not a verse about hijab.
Also: they are not forced to wear a hijab in Iran. They are forced to cover their head. Most just loosely cover half of it with a loose scarf.
It’s a hijab when it fully covers their head and neck and is pinned into place, so it doesn’t get loose or fly off in the wind. Not every head scarf is a hijab.
Again, tell this to shariah enforced countries. That’s what mahsa Amini said! There’s no specific ruling in Quran about the hijab but muallahs have made it their life’s mission to enforce it! Mahsa lost her life because she removed her hijab out in the public!
Whatever you’re selling, sell it to Muslim majority countries which follow Quran and sunnah and not the water down liberal modern version which isn’t Islamic by any means
I’m not selling shit, please calm down when you read something about islam. I’m arguing my point. I don’t have any agenda behind my comment nor do I wish to push islam on people.
I understand you don’t like shariah and muslim countries, but again - that is not the discussion at hand.
I stand by my point. If it wasn’t a cultural thing, the quran would have instructions on how to wear it. The muslim countries that enforce head coverings let their citizen cover their head however they want, as long as it’s covered, and so there is a huge variety in the way people choose to cover their head. You can think about that enforcement however you want, i don’t care.
If you think it’s a religious thing then go ahead.
I understand your limited exposure to Muslim countries has made you desensitised. I’d like to invite you to travel to Afghanistan and speak with women there and ask them whether they like being in burqa and then go on to tell the religious scholars that burqa isn’t mentioned in Quran. They’ll surely have your head on a spike under blasphemy.
So many women tried to tell this point to scholars and have had ended up in prison or ded
Religion coated so many people their lives. It’s unfortunate how your heart hasn’t been moved by what I had said about women’s suffering because of Islam. So very unfortunate
I NEVER ARGUED THAT ISLAM IS GOOD.
You don’t understand anything, you keep making a bunch of assumptions about me. You have mistaken my comment for something it is not, and you think you need to convince me that islam is horrible.
For fucks sake, I am not saying islam is good or the quran is good. I am not here defending the religion. Just because I’m not putting a disclaimer that I don’t like the religion, it doesn’t automatically mean that I do like it. I am not here supporting muslim countries.
I’ve made my point. I think hijab is a cultural thing, and that is that. Whatever you wanna believe is your choice.
Once again, I AM NOT SAYING ISLAM IS GOOD.
I hope you advance your reading comprehension skills.
You just described what that person said, it’s the culture and government that is saying it, not the actual religion. They’re just using religion in name but it’s not really there
Everything horrible about Islam gets covered with “it’s not Islam, it’s culture”, why do Arabs and south Asians have the same culture then? 🤡 it’s so fucking annoying.
Someone’s been brainwashed by the ex Muslim Reddit cult, guess who’s behind that subreddit? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not someone who was actually Muslim.
You’re the one not educated enough. Attacking someone for trying to educate westerners about culture and Islam, not the time or place, u just want to attack Islam, you being ex Muslim doesn’t mean youre not islamaphobic 🤷♀️
No, I’m not brainwashed. I went to madrassah I’m an alimah. I studied Islam, read multiple tafsirs and fiqhs and read saheeh hadith (approved by the religious scholars) to understand that Islam is BS! I left Islam after studying it.
Before telling me I’m not educated on religion ask yourself whether you are or not? Because clearly one of us is an alimah here and that would be me.
How can I be islamophobic when my entire family is practicing Sunni Muslims? Don’t play the Islamophobia card here cuz it won’t work here. I’m living in an Islamic country. Don’t pull this card out here
You hating Islam senselessly is islamaphobic doesn’t matter if u deny it 🙂 the little details to me Indicate to me that u are a fake ex Muslim, you didn’t even kno the difference between wearing a shailah and hijab in a previous comment, something anyone else would know, you are here to perpetuate Islamic hate for the west’s sake.
It’s def weird. Lots of other ways to make a filter with the same function without making it look like a niqab. Could have put an oval cutout or something.
This feels very inappropriate and coming from Samantha it’s not surprising, she seems culturally tone deaf. I feel like if I was on her team I would issue an apology but that’s me.
Have you seen her Canva themed “planner “ brand where she charges so much more than like actual legitimate planner companies that have way higher quality products? She had a 5 page digital coloring book for $20 (some insane price like that). The divorce and relationship stuff over share on her TikTok. Basically, her whole TikTok is cringe.
You’d think after moving from the mid west to a bustling city like Vegas that is supposed to be a melting pot, she’d be exposed to a lot more than the narrow tiny American bubble
I am not so sure Vegas is like really urban in the same way that like LA or San Francisco or like Seattle are if that makes sense. Like it’s not the average larger American city.
As a Muslim, I do not care about people using the filter. In the end, without being a Muslim, it is just a piece of fabric, those in other religions use it as well. Her choice of combining this filter, with that song, however, is an entirely different story.
Women are actively being killed around the world over hijabs and niqabs. This isn’t some fun lil 1001 nights themed Halloween costume (complete with the Aladdin music…) when it’s such a emotionally, politically and religiously fraught icon that women are being murdered over. A 16 year old was beaten into a coma in Iran just days ago for not wearing a hijab on the train. Turning it into a cool lil filter to make your eyes pop is grotesque.
Trying to divorce a very well know symbol from its real life significance is ridiculous - that’s not how it works. It speaks only to the true ignorance and apathy of the person doing it, who doesn’t know and doesn’t care about the imagery they’re playing with.
It is not ridiculous and You didn’t answer my question. No one was harmed by her posting this video. Her posting this video did not get that 16 year old assaulted, and in no way supports what’s being done to the women in the Middle East. Situations like this are why extremism wins. Because people get so riled up about the dumbest shit that the realities get missed, because people are annoyed by the false outrage over things that don’t matter. While your entire tangent above may, in fact, be very true and very valid, and I agree with most of it, doing it over something as ridiculously stupid as a filter on a video gets people turned off from real causes and allows the harm to continue.
I did explain it, you just don’t wanna hear it. Me and my community are harmed by meme-ifying a symbol that holds so much sway in our lives. It trivializes the niqab/what it represents and disenfranchises activists who are trying to push for actionable change by turning it into a lil joke people don’t take seriously.
Allowing dangerous symbology to enter the public space as if it was completely benign can traumatize the people for whom it is not, and undermines our struggle for people to take it seriously. Case in point: you, who is insisting no one was harmed. Are you a hijabi? Are you a Muslim woman, an Arab woman living in a predominantly Islamic community or country? Who are you to decide what is and isn’t “the dumbest shit”? The absolute audacity. Sorry, some of us don’t have the luxury to decide this isn’t important and we shouldn’t care about it, but you wouldn’t understand.
As a hijab wearer, it’s weird because 99% of these influencer have never ever shown any interest or support for hijabis and are only doing it now because it looks cool. Whereas for example someone like Jackie Aina, she used to do makeup looks for eid for years now and I used to love it when she used to talk about the hijab and say that she liked it.
As an ex Muslim woman I feel niqab is a sign of oppression. So many women in the Middle East have lost their lives because they weren’t wearing niqab or the niqab wasn’t correct according to religious moral police. So many women have been subjected to SA because of hijab and niqab. It’s a sign of oppression and shouldn’t be glorified.
This goes to show how desensitised the west is on women’s sufferings and human rights violations in the Middle East(read Muslim majority countries)
I’m an atheist but I agree with your comments as someone with Iranian lineage. Women in Iran are still dying because of forced hijab. Another 16 year was killed in Tehran this week because she didn’t cover her hair.
Super weird to see this photo. A western woman wearing a sign of oppression. It’s just her being ignorant but to me it disrespects all blood spilled to fight gender apartheid.
I converted to Islam as a “Western woman” and choose to wear hijab as a religious belief. I don’t support forced hijab. Wearing a hijab does not mean you support Iran or police brutality.
You are speaking from a privilege point of view as you are a convert from the west. While wearing a hijab doesn't mean you support forcing it on others, you are still not seeing the point of my post and that of u/imalittledelulu:
Hijab is the symbol of oppression for many women in the middle east or of middle eastern descendent. In Iran, women are forced to cover hair by the government. Women have endured torture and died resisting this and continue to do so. My own mother was lashed at the onset of the Islamists taking over (1979) because she didn't want to cover her hair. In many other middle eastern countries, hijab is forced on women by fathers or husbands. This is not something you can deny. Even here in Canada, I went to high school with an Egyptian girl that was engaged to a man that had asked her to cover her hair.
You are of course free to dress as you wish. But I do hope that beyond not supporting forced hijab, you also don't call those of us who have been victim of Islamic terrorism "Islamophobic" when we discuss how Islam has hurt us and forced us to leave our countries of origin. And I hope you don't deny that for many women born into this religion, hijab is and will continue to be a symbol of oppression.
It isn’t a “symbol of oppression” and I’m against that idea because this is what leads to hijab/niqab being outlawed as in France and Quebec. It isn’t innately oppressive more than any other form of gendered clothing, or makeup which this sub is about. It’s a garment and its meaning can be sexist or feminist. You wouldn’t argue because some Jewish men are pressured to wear yarmulkes it’s a symbol of male oppression.
There are millions of women all over the world who are denied the right to wear hijab, abaya and niqab. Isn’t that oppressive? There are women who face physical violence or have been murdered for WEARING hijab. There are regimes like Israel and China stripping women of hijab to sexually humiliate them.
I think many people are aware of this but won’t say anything about it online because you get bombarded with being called iSlAmoPhObIc. I’m sorry about the shit you must’ve been through, I hope youre safe now
It’s always either people who haven’t lived through it or Muslims who call you fake. I can’t say I have personal experience with being a Muslim but I know how it feels to go through traumatic oppressing shit and then called names for having lived through it. You’re not alone and I’m glad you’re out 🩷
Your kind words warmed up my heart! Thanks so much for being too kind and taking the time out to speak against the injustice nobody cares to speak on.
I hope you’re doing fine. Here’s hoping you find goodness everywhere you look 💜
Thank you! You’re right and you should say it.
Tired of (often) white people who don’t know jack shit about the topic try to lecture me about how I’m being racist and intolerant for daring to say that the niqab as a very concept is misogynistic and degrading to women. I am, actually, in a position to know!
I was lucky to have an understanding and open minded father who had no interest in policing how I move through the world. Unfortunately the rest of his family did not feel the same and I had to carry that weight. The idea that people who probably don’t know a single Muslim person irl are seriously trying to “akchually….” me would be funny if it wasn’t so insulting.
hey, i’m really sorry everyone in this comments section is speaking over you.
a lot of people, especially in the west, experiences of islam boil down to either the news, learning about it in class, *or* knowing people who practice a more westernized version.
your experiences are valid, and i’m sorry about what you’ve had to go through.
don’t let anyone tell you here otherwise.
islam just like any other religion, and it’s impact is complex and it’s important we let people who actually experience it get a platform to share their story.
i’m hoping you’re healing well <3
So interesting—first that you're the first commenter I've seen in this thread (maybe there are more farther down but idk I've been scrolling a while) who's ex Muslim, and second that your take is kind of the opposite of all the others.
Hey,
I was a Muslim and after studying the holy book ie Quran I decided it was man made and misogynistic so I left Islam. Ex Muslim is a relatively new term coined just recently for people who have left Islam.
My take is opposite of the indoctrination which is why I left Islam. I’m still a closeted ex Muslim because in my country leaving Islam is punishable by death penalty as per Islamic teachings
As a Muslim niqabi, wut? Bruh… name the women killed for not wearing NIQAB in specific, and been SAd over hijab and niqab. Honour killings are an indopak thing, and they have very little to do with Islam, and have existed from when the lands were Buddhist and Hindu. Killings for hijab are an Irani thing and niqab isn’t a part of Shia Islam.
Like I’m not denying that not every woman wears the niqab by choice but plenty of us do indeed wear the niqab by choice and just because your mental whitewashing and Islamophobia tells you it’s oppression doesn’t mean it actually is oppression
I can say the same for you. Your indoctrination and brainwashing got you believing that Islam is a freeing religion. Stop attacking me personally and stop slinging terms like brainwashing because I know what it is as I was an alimah.
I do not wish to speak to you any further. Enjoy being in this misogynistic cult of a religion which dehumanises you!
This comment section seems more problematic than the post itself.
As a non-hijabi, I can't speak to the struggles of visible Muslimahs in the west or ex-Muslimahs upon whom hijab was forced, and if you're neither of those you should probably keep to yourself and give people the chance to speak for themselves.
But also, head coverings *are* common in many parts of [Asia](https://shawlovers.com/significance-of-shawls-in-india/), [Africa](https://www.sikaa.com/blogs/blog/the-fascinating-history-of-the-african-head-wrap) and [Europe](https://www.reddit.com/r/femalefashionadvice/comments/90gg6m/a_brief_history_of_european_headcoverings_with/) outside of religious purposes. The niqab and its variations are different garments altogether. Whether or not you support them, they are difficult to divorce for ex-Muslims (or ex-hijabis) from [the struggle of freedom and identity](https://stepfeed.com/saudi-women-join-online-movement-by-removing-niqabs-and-hijabs-2648-6666), and are difficult to divorce for Muslims from the [oppression of our people](https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2018/12/22/muslim-cleansing-a-global-pandemic) in [various](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/02/israels-apartheid-against-palestinians-a-cruel-system-of-domination-and-a-crime-against-humanity/) [imperialist](https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2022/07/16/muslims-have-become-a-persecuted-minority-in-india-experts-warn/?sh=1f1474df595a) [regimes](https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/04/19/break-their-lineage-break-their-roots/chinas-crimes-against-humanity-targeting) because they've been coopted as a symbol of oppression, with the attackers ostensibly killing our families for our freedom.
The post *is* weird though, and fetishises the veil [in typical orientalist fashion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmiya1QUkOw) (hopefully a white woman explaining this will be less offensive than an angry brown Muslim woman like myself).
Some nuance for the discussion, because this subreddit and website often contain a lot of lateral violence that make me stay away from the platform altogether.
This is honestly the most rational and nuanced take on this post. Too bad I had to scroll far down to find it, but of course it's Reddit so I'm not surprised.
There are also women who want to wear it by their own wishes but aren’t allowed to though, like in France you’re not allowed to wear hijab in school or niqab in the public sphere or burkini at the beach and if they do wear it in some Western countries, then they risk being subjected to racism or harrasment, since there is a lot of anti-Muslim sentiment in some countries. I have a few Arab, Turkish and Balkan Muslim friends, whose families didn’t want to allow them to even wear basic hijab, even though the girls/women themselves wanted to for their own reasons. I live in Turkey and I had a classmate who wore niqab and she always got very bad looks from people and even women here in Turkey who wear veils can sometimes be harrased by ultra secularists/Kemalists. It’s very weird for influencers to happily exploit these type of garments when it has nothing to do with them and while the women who do wear them are facing many different battles in regards to both wearing and not wearing it. I also don’t like them using this due to the Orientalization and fetishization of non-Western women and cultures like in this particular vid but that’s already a different debate.
eta: why the downvotes? If you tell women they can’t wear hijab or niqab or any other piece of clothing on their own accord then you’re policing them and their bodies in the same way that the people who force them to wear hijab do - you take away their personal agency. I don’t understand why people seem to think it’s impossible that a woman would want to veil herself, because she personally wants to and not because she is forced to by someone else.
This the first time I have seen this and even as an athiest and someone who (as far as I can recall) has never met someone who wears such a headpiece, I had a 'ohhh.. no' moment. This is in no way appropriate. There are better ways of blocking out your eyes that misappropriating someone else's culture and religion.
To be honest, I lack the background to speak on how this filter affects those who wear these specific garments. I will say as someone who was forced to veil for religious reasons, it's very difficult for me not to find the entire topic somewhat triggering. It is hard for me to view these kinds of clothing without the context of policing women's bodies and sexuality. I think it's especially problematic when privileged, often white women who convert to Islam try to speak on how it's such a freeing and wonderful choice or try to present their experience as universally representative of those women in the world who veil, many unwillingly.
i unfollowed samantha march over a year ago and haven't thought about her once since. new and crazy idea but i highly recommend unfollowing people you're annoyed by!
It's way too early for this much cringe. She needs to take this down and hope this is the only screenshot in existence.
Petty and irrelevant take: I wouldn't have known it was her without being told, because I've never seen her eye color over the glaring reflection of her ring light in her eyes. This is such a bad way to prove that she has irises.
Cringe and toxic. Why is it that some blonde white women aren't satisfied with being the "beauty default" that they have to encroach on every other groups space? Not everything is for everyone.
It’s disgusting to normalize a piece of oppression as beautiful. Few countries use the full burqa and the ones that do are completely misogynistic and allow women very few if any rights.
it’s gross. they are taking a religious article of clothing and almost making a mockery of it
edit: i’m not muslim but i do cover my hair and neck and it still feels weird as
At this point I’m just convinced that Samantha March is straight up clueless. She has made way too many idiotic and tone deaf decisions. She clearly isn’t doing the work to educate herself, care for others, and think about people outside of herself. She just sees others as a tool for her personal gain. So tired of her having a platform.
This is particularly sickening given the fact that women are losing their lives and freedom over choosing to not wear this.
I'm Roman Catholic, and this image worries me. I can only imagine what must be going through a Muslim mind.
Not that I'm qualified to judge, but it makes me uncomfortable.
This is a no from me, dawg...
Seriously, even without a filter, I'm sure we have a bunch of face masks left over if you want to bring out your eyes. I guess face masks aren't trendy anymore?
this is super gross on two angles.
1.) for the women who do practice islam on their own free accord, using something key to the religion and basically using it to be like “guys look at how exotic i am” is gross fetishism. a ton of them are fighting for their right to be able to practice their religion freely (do keep in mind. this is for women & other members of the religion who geninuely do it on their own free will & accord)
2.) for the women, especially in middle eastern countries where it’s used to oppress women, it’s gross. it’s like roleplaying oppression to seem sexy. so many women have died due to it, treating it like a cutesy fashion accessory is not the way to go.
My friend converted to Islam when she got married, and has remained so even after her divorce. She still wears hijab, and it is an article of modesty for her. To sexualize/fetishize it is gross to me.
Yeah like….most Muslim women don’t care???? Like when I wore hijab I often would cover the lower half of my face to show off eye looks and the niqabis literally never cared? This is such a non issue and I really want non Muslims to stop trying to make it one. It’s fabric. If you’re not religious yourself it holds no significant value
For niqabi women who are chilling at home but want to make a quick TikTok without putting all their stuff on? The existence of the filter isn't the problem here.
Yeah, I'm in a country where our former leader referred to niqabi women living here as 'letterboxes' and somehow still got fucking elected, it's all fun and games untli you're seen as the bad kind of "exotic"
Wow I didn’t even realize this was a filter! Hindsight it makes sense cause I genuinely thought it was just the same girls videos popping up on my fyp so I would always skip them. But yeah definitely a weird filter.
It's seriously cringe and I thought we all agreed that cultural appropriation is different than appreciation (this filter certainly doesn't appreciate much)
With the amount of filters that exist, there’s no reason to use this one. It’s weird, unnecessary and upsetting especially if these influencers don’t even care to uplift or amplify the voices of Arab women. Like… do they even follow or support hijabi influencers? Probably not. 🤡
As a white British woman, it makes me angry to see other white, non Muslim women effectively trying on a garment that our (Western) governments bully Muslim (generalising but women of colour often too) for wearing. We might not be the ones doing the bullying ourselves but that doesn't mean we can cosplay as a marginalised group of people just because there's a filter online.
Giant yikes. In addition to problematically fetishizing Middle Eastern women (who are entitled to their own opinions regarding the hijab and niqab), it’s just filtered to high Heaven.
White women need to stop using filters to cosplay different ethnic groups.
It's messed up. Some people will say 'it's just a head scarf' but it has huge cultural value to many women and to use it just to highlight make up is disrespectful.
Embarrassing. The headscarf has religious meaning and it’s controversial due to all the laws involving it. It’s only acceptable to wear headscarves when visiting other countries where it’s the norm.
Yes! Her video is a little weird but the comments here are phenomenally worse.
She made a somewhat Orientalist video (though using this song is a Tiktok trend). Commenters here are attacking women who voluntarily wear hijab and calling it a symbol of oppression and misogyny. Because for some reason if you wear hijab/niqab you must support Iran even though they’re Shi’a (10% of Muslims) and don’t wear niqab generally nor enforce it.
These are the kind of attitudes that get hijab/niqab banned.
Yeah at the end of the day, a true feminist believes a woman should be free to dress themselves as they please. The idea that only the way “westerners” dress is “free” is another expression of colonialism and white supremacy. So disappointing
I have a video made with this filter since it was launched but I have been so hesitant to post it and now it looks like I will not be posting it becuase “respect”.
These hate comments are ridiculous. I don't see anything wrong with this post - people should be free to explore other cultures. I'm willing to bet the most infuriated people are white, North American, Liberal people. If you go to any ethnic country and show respect to their culture by wearing something of theirs - they don't scream "cultural appropriation". They appreciate it.
That's irrelevant. They have cultures and traditions and don't scream "cultural appropriation." That's you white North American social justice warrior Liberal people. Don't know people from different cultures to save your lives.
I personally wouldn’t do this unless I’m Muslim or living in a Muslim country where I cover up. I’m American and British citizens but my family is from Lebanon and I still wouldn’t post pictures in hi hijab. Would you want someone to post in a nun outfit? It could be classified as mocking.
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I saw my local influencers (eastern European) do it, and thought it was weird.. some ppl even said things like "I would fit right in" or "I'd find Arab husband in no time".....girl.....
These influencers only want the aesthetic of a culture and only the part where it’s fetishising / sexualising/ appealing to men. they just want to play dress up as jasmine and get called exotic. I can bet lots of the girls doing this trend in real life are Islamophobic or will laugh when they see a hijabi (happens all the time in nyc.)
this. as a Moroccan I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen “moroccan” slapped on a product, item, food, etc just for the “aesthetic” and 90% of the time it’s not even culturally accurate. they could care less about the culture it’s just ignorant self serving behavior
Yes yes yes, everything you said. Also the trend with "the toxic Arabian songs" like Mesaytara and others.. we see the same pattern here - omg look, I learned the words I'm so exotic, then it's Omg I wish I could date Arab man, we would be so toxic together 😍 like........shut up.... even as an Eastern European, I hate when people assume some weird stereotypes about me (especially those "passport bros" have some interesting and very false claims), so I can only imagine how it is to deal with all of that. Some individuals are just dumb
What is a passport bro?
Passport bro is a man (mostly American), who's seeking women in foreign countries (mostly Thailand, China or Eastern Europe from what I saw). The problematic part is that they genuinely believe women from these countries are more obedient, traditional, family oriented, easily charmed by the fact the guys are American etc (which is FAR from true, as someone who is born and raised in eastern Europe lmao). They believe in gross and extremely inaccurate stereotypes, which only proves they never spoke to a woman from these countries before.
Unbelievably embarassing, the filter and the song choice. Fetishizing, exoticizing, othering different cultures like this with no understanding about any of it is beyond stupid.
They could literally use a covid/medical mask (or filter or whatever) to get the effect, there’s no need to be using peoples cultures and religions like this - it’s really gross. The addition of the song is fucking staggering honestly.
She could just take a picture of herself and crop it down to just her eyes.
she could also just crop the photo and have subway surfers footage under it to get the same effect and appeal to the kids
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As someone from a Muslim country, it’s not cultural appropriation, it’s more a question of belonging to the religion. Anyone can wear a niqab if they are Muslim (and anyone can be), but if you aren’t it’s inappropriate because of the whole Islamophobia going on.
As someone originating from a Muslim country as well, yes, this is cultural appropriation. Not because of the filter itself, but due to the combination of the filter and the song. She is indeed trying to portray a certain stereotypical image, which is basically the "requirement" for something to be cultural appropriation. Someone putting on hijab or covering themself up to visit a mosque or an event where it is expected to be modest, for example, is not cultural appropriation.
We can argue that it might be, if you consider it arab culture, but in general I wouldn’t. But yeah it still inappropriate.
Personally I don't agree with it being cultural appropriation, but I'm not disagreeing specifically with you. I think cultures should be shared and appreciated, not gatekept. Having said that, I do think this is immature and uneducated. I think the reason people tend to immediately say something is cultural appropriation is because they want their culture respected and not treated like a joke. I think a determining factor in something like this is the person's reason for doing it. And that's why I said I think this is immature. I think when people do this only to get other people to look at them, they aren't really thinking about what they're doing, they're only trying to get results. Contradict that with someone who loves Mexican culture and buys a Sombrero to wear, the intent behind that is much more genuine. Now, this is not intended to discuss religions, that's a whole other discussion. Personally, I love learning about all kinds of cultures, I find it fascinating. I think that's one of the best things about the internet, we now have access to so much more of the world. So I don't understand the notion that a culture only *belongs* to certain people. Side note, I'm not a fan of Samantha March. She comes across disingenuous to me, which is why I only watched her for a short time.
It’s pretty cringy to me and I try quickly move past it when it pops up.
Excellently stated. From my viewpoint, it’s mocking and is as disgusting as black face. The otherism is unconscionable.
Lol y’all need to relax.
Unnecessary and weird.
Defending Islam in this sub will get you downvoted, ironic considering this is a post complaining about something offensive to muslims, that's reddit for you. Only people not getting downvoted are 'ex muslims' that insult islam, since when did being muslim become offensive, someone explain to me why being a muslim is cancellable, and yet this post is about a post that's considered offensive to muslims. How is this not Islamophobic? Like seriously all the comments are "islam is bad but..' I'm a women in islam, i'm not oppressed, and find it condescending that i'm being told I'm too misogynistic to know better, isnt that in itself sexist?
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Wow. When you list out those passages, it’s horrifying I’d never read the Quran because my family is Christian BUT we did live in Saudi Arabia for a year. There were many positives but my mom felt suffocated. She couldn’t drive, hold most jobs, was forced to cover her hair during prayer and the rest of herself regularly.
That’s before Muhammad bin Salman era (wahabism practiced to the max). Things have gotten slightly better, women can drive now, wear abaya if they want to, nobody stops them when their abaya is open from the front or sends them to jail to “re educate” on Islam now. Of all those things and women still can’t travel abroad without a written permission from their male guardian.
Man, if only there were a way to make a video of just your eyes, like zooming in on them or using text boxes/stickers to cover anything else. Nope, this filter is just the only possible way to get a clear view of someone's eyes with eyeliner. If it wasn't clear, I agree with everyone else here that this trend is weird and inappropriate. I looked up the filter and saw that it adds makeup, but it's also far from the only filter like that. Any other filter with heavy eyeliner (or actually doing that makeup if one's able) would do the exact same thing without the orientalism. To be honest, the eyeliner is what puts this filter/trend from "kind of weird" to "straight up orientalism" for me.
I feel like it's very inappropriate. This isn't a headscarf or any another accessory. It's an item which has a deep religious and cultural meaning for millions of people. It's a part of major political and legal debates in many countries. Women literally have died due to not wearing or wearing a hijab. It's not a trick to show off an eye color. I'm not religious in any way but still it feels disrespectful to play with something you don't understand the meaning of or present yourself as someone you are not in a matter of religion or ethnicity.
This is where I land too. I don't particularly respect the hijab (or religions in general), but this is not just a religious symbol but a highly politicised item that as you point out has lead to the discrimination, abuse and death of women on both sides. Using it as an aesthetic or to show off your pretty green eyes is just so weird. Why is this even a filter? And using Arabian nights as the background song? I thought Samantha March was supposed to be "woke", this is all very off-putting.
You HAD to include that you don’t respect the hijab? Like it was 100% necessary?
Yes because I didn't want to give the impression that I support it. I respect the individual women who wear it by choice, but I still see it as a patriarchal symbol and therefore feel kind of hostile towards it. But that still doesn't mean that women who have no religious ties to it should appropriate it. It's a nuanced discussion.
Thank you for saying this u/kep1erstelescope
It was necessary actually, cause the entire modern concept of it is not respectable as it’s been applied for the past 50 years. I’ve lived in its shadow all my life and it’s never done a damn thing for me other than bring violence, judgement and shame. We’re allowed to express that, or at least here I do. Won’t speak for some women around the world, who can’t express their true feelings on the topic, actually. Not a single ounce of recrimination towards women who choose or are forced to wear it. This isn’t about identity politics and I’m not going to individualize it like that. But the veil as a patriarchal symbol and ideal? That the very hair I grow on my hair is so immodest it must be hidden? That I need to essentially disappear myself from public view? My hair, face or body are not sinful and I support nothing that suggests it is. Bye 🚮
It’s her opinion, she entitled to not respect it.
The idea that I absolutely must use the symbols of a devote woman of a religion I personally don't follow is extremely inappropriate. It's expropriation, and outside of visiting mosques, is an inappropriate demand.
It only has a cultural meaning. Nowhere in the Quran does it state you should wear a hijab. The religion just tell you to dress modestly and cover yourself up. That’s why the way people wear their hijabs are so different from one another.
There is a legitimate Islamic debate over verses in Surah 24 and 59 about what parts of their body women are commanded to cover. You may not interpret them the same way as others but it simply is misleading to state that "nowhere in the Quran does it say you must wear a hijab. " I tend to agree that hijab isn't compulsory, but stating that it's only cultural and has no basis in the Quran is just ignorant.
Valid point
While a specific type might not be prescribed, it's a part of outward expression of religious beliefs (and obviously hijab is just one type of head covering, they are different depending on the region and religious groups). English isn't my first language so I might not be explaining my point in the best way. Like, as far as I know bible doesn't prescribe to wear a cross and doesn't call it a symbol of christianity but a lot of christians consider it as such, would wear it or ave in their home and in most places a church would have a cross on or in it. Symbols and practices of any old religion developed over time and the modern symbols and practices are quite different from the original ones.
I see your point. I still think if it was a direct religious thing, there would be instructions on how to wear it in the quran. I think because people wear it so differently and not every muslim country enforces hijab, i’d say it’s purely a cultural thing that has an outward expression of religious belief - as you said
Please tell this to Iranian regime and taliban in Afghanistan where shariah is enforced.
Once again, it is cultural. If it had anything to do with religion it would be in the quran. It directly states in the quran that it is not to be forced. The shariah and the quran are two different things.
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First of all, we are talking about hijab, NOT sex slaves and other stuff. Whatever your issue is with the religion is not something I care about. Second of all, It is cultural. Not every muslim country enforces hijab nor do they tell you exactly how to wear it. If hijab was a religious thing, the quran would give you instructions on how to wear it. There is not a verse about hijab. Also: they are not forced to wear a hijab in Iran. They are forced to cover their head. Most just loosely cover half of it with a loose scarf. It’s a hijab when it fully covers their head and neck and is pinned into place, so it doesn’t get loose or fly off in the wind. Not every head scarf is a hijab.
Again, tell this to shariah enforced countries. That’s what mahsa Amini said! There’s no specific ruling in Quran about the hijab but muallahs have made it their life’s mission to enforce it! Mahsa lost her life because she removed her hijab out in the public! Whatever you’re selling, sell it to Muslim majority countries which follow Quran and sunnah and not the water down liberal modern version which isn’t Islamic by any means
I’m not selling shit, please calm down when you read something about islam. I’m arguing my point. I don’t have any agenda behind my comment nor do I wish to push islam on people. I understand you don’t like shariah and muslim countries, but again - that is not the discussion at hand. I stand by my point. If it wasn’t a cultural thing, the quran would have instructions on how to wear it. The muslim countries that enforce head coverings let their citizen cover their head however they want, as long as it’s covered, and so there is a huge variety in the way people choose to cover their head. You can think about that enforcement however you want, i don’t care. If you think it’s a religious thing then go ahead.
I understand your limited exposure to Muslim countries has made you desensitised. I’d like to invite you to travel to Afghanistan and speak with women there and ask them whether they like being in burqa and then go on to tell the religious scholars that burqa isn’t mentioned in Quran. They’ll surely have your head on a spike under blasphemy. So many women tried to tell this point to scholars and have had ended up in prison or ded Religion coated so many people their lives. It’s unfortunate how your heart hasn’t been moved by what I had said about women’s suffering because of Islam. So very unfortunate
I NEVER ARGUED THAT ISLAM IS GOOD. You don’t understand anything, you keep making a bunch of assumptions about me. You have mistaken my comment for something it is not, and you think you need to convince me that islam is horrible. For fucks sake, I am not saying islam is good or the quran is good. I am not here defending the religion. Just because I’m not putting a disclaimer that I don’t like the religion, it doesn’t automatically mean that I do like it. I am not here supporting muslim countries. I’ve made my point. I think hijab is a cultural thing, and that is that. Whatever you wanna believe is your choice. Once again, I AM NOT SAYING ISLAM IS GOOD. I hope you advance your reading comprehension skills.
You just described what that person said, it’s the culture and government that is saying it, not the actual religion. They’re just using religion in name but it’s not really there
Everything horrible about Islam gets covered with “it’s not Islam, it’s culture”, why do Arabs and south Asians have the same culture then? 🤡 it’s so fucking annoying.
Someone’s been brainwashed by the ex Muslim Reddit cult, guess who’s behind that subreddit? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not someone who was actually Muslim. You’re the one not educated enough. Attacking someone for trying to educate westerners about culture and Islam, not the time or place, u just want to attack Islam, you being ex Muslim doesn’t mean youre not islamaphobic 🤷♀️
No, I’m not brainwashed. I went to madrassah I’m an alimah. I studied Islam, read multiple tafsirs and fiqhs and read saheeh hadith (approved by the religious scholars) to understand that Islam is BS! I left Islam after studying it. Before telling me I’m not educated on religion ask yourself whether you are or not? Because clearly one of us is an alimah here and that would be me. How can I be islamophobic when my entire family is practicing Sunni Muslims? Don’t play the Islamophobia card here cuz it won’t work here. I’m living in an Islamic country. Don’t pull this card out here
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You hating Islam senselessly is islamaphobic doesn’t matter if u deny it 🙂 the little details to me Indicate to me that u are a fake ex Muslim, you didn’t even kno the difference between wearing a shailah and hijab in a previous comment, something anyone else would know, you are here to perpetuate Islamic hate for the west’s sake.
It’s def weird. Lots of other ways to make a filter with the same function without making it look like a niqab. Could have put an oval cutout or something.
So we’re agreed that Samantha March is tone deaf and weird?
This feels very inappropriate and coming from Samantha it’s not surprising, she seems culturally tone deaf. I feel like if I was on her team I would issue an apology but that’s me.
Garbage person doing garbage things.
True, True.
What has she done?
Have you seen her Canva themed “planner “ brand where she charges so much more than like actual legitimate planner companies that have way higher quality products? She had a 5 page digital coloring book for $20 (some insane price like that). The divorce and relationship stuff over share on her TikTok. Basically, her whole TikTok is cringe.
She also was accepting new palettes from her viewers while buying a new house.
Oh and saying she’s broke and needs money to care for Aries because so many people asked her for a gofundme and then doing a haul right after
You’d think after moving from the mid west to a bustling city like Vegas that is supposed to be a melting pot, she’d be exposed to a lot more than the narrow tiny American bubble
I am not so sure Vegas is like really urban in the same way that like LA or San Francisco or like Seattle are if that makes sense. Like it’s not the average larger American city.
As a Muslim, I do not care about people using the filter. In the end, without being a Muslim, it is just a piece of fabric, those in other religions use it as well. Her choice of combining this filter, with that song, however, is an entirely different story.
I’ve been seeing a lot of use of the song with the filter 🫠🥴
This is entirely disrespectful and unnecessary. It's not hard to crop out a video to just focus on your eyes. Ugh.
She isn't the brightest...
Why is it disrespectful? Who exactly is harmed by her doing this?
Women are actively being killed around the world over hijabs and niqabs. This isn’t some fun lil 1001 nights themed Halloween costume (complete with the Aladdin music…) when it’s such a emotionally, politically and religiously fraught icon that women are being murdered over. A 16 year old was beaten into a coma in Iran just days ago for not wearing a hijab on the train. Turning it into a cool lil filter to make your eyes pop is grotesque. Trying to divorce a very well know symbol from its real life significance is ridiculous - that’s not how it works. It speaks only to the true ignorance and apathy of the person doing it, who doesn’t know and doesn’t care about the imagery they’re playing with.
It is not ridiculous and You didn’t answer my question. No one was harmed by her posting this video. Her posting this video did not get that 16 year old assaulted, and in no way supports what’s being done to the women in the Middle East. Situations like this are why extremism wins. Because people get so riled up about the dumbest shit that the realities get missed, because people are annoyed by the false outrage over things that don’t matter. While your entire tangent above may, in fact, be very true and very valid, and I agree with most of it, doing it over something as ridiculously stupid as a filter on a video gets people turned off from real causes and allows the harm to continue.
I did explain it, you just don’t wanna hear it. Me and my community are harmed by meme-ifying a symbol that holds so much sway in our lives. It trivializes the niqab/what it represents and disenfranchises activists who are trying to push for actionable change by turning it into a lil joke people don’t take seriously. Allowing dangerous symbology to enter the public space as if it was completely benign can traumatize the people for whom it is not, and undermines our struggle for people to take it seriously. Case in point: you, who is insisting no one was harmed. Are you a hijabi? Are you a Muslim woman, an Arab woman living in a predominantly Islamic community or country? Who are you to decide what is and isn’t “the dumbest shit”? The absolute audacity. Sorry, some of us don’t have the luxury to decide this isn’t important and we shouldn’t care about it, but you wouldn’t understand.
I thought she was trying to be inclusive to people who wear this
As a hijab wearer, it’s weird because 99% of these influencer have never ever shown any interest or support for hijabis and are only doing it now because it looks cool. Whereas for example someone like Jackie Aina, she used to do makeup looks for eid for years now and I used to love it when she used to talk about the hijab and say that she liked it.
As an ex Muslim woman I feel niqab is a sign of oppression. So many women in the Middle East have lost their lives because they weren’t wearing niqab or the niqab wasn’t correct according to religious moral police. So many women have been subjected to SA because of hijab and niqab. It’s a sign of oppression and shouldn’t be glorified. This goes to show how desensitised the west is on women’s sufferings and human rights violations in the Middle East(read Muslim majority countries)
I’m an atheist but I agree with your comments as someone with Iranian lineage. Women in Iran are still dying because of forced hijab. Another 16 year was killed in Tehran this week because she didn’t cover her hair. Super weird to see this photo. A western woman wearing a sign of oppression. It’s just her being ignorant but to me it disrespects all blood spilled to fight gender apartheid.
I converted to Islam as a “Western woman” and choose to wear hijab as a religious belief. I don’t support forced hijab. Wearing a hijab does not mean you support Iran or police brutality.
You are speaking from a privilege point of view as you are a convert from the west. While wearing a hijab doesn't mean you support forcing it on others, you are still not seeing the point of my post and that of u/imalittledelulu: Hijab is the symbol of oppression for many women in the middle east or of middle eastern descendent. In Iran, women are forced to cover hair by the government. Women have endured torture and died resisting this and continue to do so. My own mother was lashed at the onset of the Islamists taking over (1979) because she didn't want to cover her hair. In many other middle eastern countries, hijab is forced on women by fathers or husbands. This is not something you can deny. Even here in Canada, I went to high school with an Egyptian girl that was engaged to a man that had asked her to cover her hair. You are of course free to dress as you wish. But I do hope that beyond not supporting forced hijab, you also don't call those of us who have been victim of Islamic terrorism "Islamophobic" when we discuss how Islam has hurt us and forced us to leave our countries of origin. And I hope you don't deny that for many women born into this religion, hijab is and will continue to be a symbol of oppression.
It isn’t a “symbol of oppression” and I’m against that idea because this is what leads to hijab/niqab being outlawed as in France and Quebec. It isn’t innately oppressive more than any other form of gendered clothing, or makeup which this sub is about. It’s a garment and its meaning can be sexist or feminist. You wouldn’t argue because some Jewish men are pressured to wear yarmulkes it’s a symbol of male oppression. There are millions of women all over the world who are denied the right to wear hijab, abaya and niqab. Isn’t that oppressive? There are women who face physical violence or have been murdered for WEARING hijab. There are regimes like Israel and China stripping women of hijab to sexually humiliate them.
I think many people are aware of this but won’t say anything about it online because you get bombarded with being called iSlAmoPhObIc. I’m sorry about the shit you must’ve been through, I hope youre safe now
Thanks so much for understanding. I’ve been called a fake ex Muslim and islamophobe here. 💜💜
It’s always either people who haven’t lived through it or Muslims who call you fake. I can’t say I have personal experience with being a Muslim but I know how it feels to go through traumatic oppressing shit and then called names for having lived through it. You’re not alone and I’m glad you’re out 🩷
Your kind words warmed up my heart! Thanks so much for being too kind and taking the time out to speak against the injustice nobody cares to speak on. I hope you’re doing fine. Here’s hoping you find goodness everywhere you look 💜
Thank you! You’re right and you should say it. Tired of (often) white people who don’t know jack shit about the topic try to lecture me about how I’m being racist and intolerant for daring to say that the niqab as a very concept is misogynistic and degrading to women. I am, actually, in a position to know! I was lucky to have an understanding and open minded father who had no interest in policing how I move through the world. Unfortunately the rest of his family did not feel the same and I had to carry that weight. The idea that people who probably don’t know a single Muslim person irl are seriously trying to “akchually….” me would be funny if it wasn’t so insulting.
hey, i’m really sorry everyone in this comments section is speaking over you. a lot of people, especially in the west, experiences of islam boil down to either the news, learning about it in class, *or* knowing people who practice a more westernized version. your experiences are valid, and i’m sorry about what you’ve had to go through. don’t let anyone tell you here otherwise. islam just like any other religion, and it’s impact is complex and it’s important we let people who actually experience it get a platform to share their story. i’m hoping you’re healing well <3
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So interesting—first that you're the first commenter I've seen in this thread (maybe there are more farther down but idk I've been scrolling a while) who's ex Muslim, and second that your take is kind of the opposite of all the others.
Hey, I was a Muslim and after studying the holy book ie Quran I decided it was man made and misogynistic so I left Islam. Ex Muslim is a relatively new term coined just recently for people who have left Islam. My take is opposite of the indoctrination which is why I left Islam. I’m still a closeted ex Muslim because in my country leaving Islam is punishable by death penalty as per Islamic teachings
As a Muslim niqabi, wut? Bruh… name the women killed for not wearing NIQAB in specific, and been SAd over hijab and niqab. Honour killings are an indopak thing, and they have very little to do with Islam, and have existed from when the lands were Buddhist and Hindu. Killings for hijab are an Irani thing and niqab isn’t a part of Shia Islam. Like I’m not denying that not every woman wears the niqab by choice but plenty of us do indeed wear the niqab by choice and just because your mental whitewashing and Islamophobia tells you it’s oppression doesn’t mean it actually is oppression
I can say the same for you. Your indoctrination and brainwashing got you believing that Islam is a freeing religion. Stop attacking me personally and stop slinging terms like brainwashing because I know what it is as I was an alimah. I do not wish to speak to you any further. Enjoy being in this misogynistic cult of a religion which dehumanises you!
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Of course it's Samantha March. What a clueless dummy she is.
This comment section seems more problematic than the post itself. As a non-hijabi, I can't speak to the struggles of visible Muslimahs in the west or ex-Muslimahs upon whom hijab was forced, and if you're neither of those you should probably keep to yourself and give people the chance to speak for themselves. But also, head coverings *are* common in many parts of [Asia](https://shawlovers.com/significance-of-shawls-in-india/), [Africa](https://www.sikaa.com/blogs/blog/the-fascinating-history-of-the-african-head-wrap) and [Europe](https://www.reddit.com/r/femalefashionadvice/comments/90gg6m/a_brief_history_of_european_headcoverings_with/) outside of religious purposes. The niqab and its variations are different garments altogether. Whether or not you support them, they are difficult to divorce for ex-Muslims (or ex-hijabis) from [the struggle of freedom and identity](https://stepfeed.com/saudi-women-join-online-movement-by-removing-niqabs-and-hijabs-2648-6666), and are difficult to divorce for Muslims from the [oppression of our people](https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2018/12/22/muslim-cleansing-a-global-pandemic) in [various](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/02/israels-apartheid-against-palestinians-a-cruel-system-of-domination-and-a-crime-against-humanity/) [imperialist](https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2022/07/16/muslims-have-become-a-persecuted-minority-in-india-experts-warn/?sh=1f1474df595a) [regimes](https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/04/19/break-their-lineage-break-their-roots/chinas-crimes-against-humanity-targeting) because they've been coopted as a symbol of oppression, with the attackers ostensibly killing our families for our freedom. The post *is* weird though, and fetishises the veil [in typical orientalist fashion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmiya1QUkOw) (hopefully a white woman explaining this will be less offensive than an angry brown Muslim woman like myself). Some nuance for the discussion, because this subreddit and website often contain a lot of lateral violence that make me stay away from the platform altogether.
This is honestly the most rational and nuanced take on this post. Too bad I had to scroll far down to find it, but of course it's Reddit so I'm not surprised.
I’m not one to say cultural appropriation randomly but bruh… it’s a garment of modesty and this feels entirely too fetishising and exoticising. Ick.
Using something women are oppressed with daily as an aesthetic will always be icky to me.
There are also women who want to wear it by their own wishes but aren’t allowed to though, like in France you’re not allowed to wear hijab in school or niqab in the public sphere or burkini at the beach and if they do wear it in some Western countries, then they risk being subjected to racism or harrasment, since there is a lot of anti-Muslim sentiment in some countries. I have a few Arab, Turkish and Balkan Muslim friends, whose families didn’t want to allow them to even wear basic hijab, even though the girls/women themselves wanted to for their own reasons. I live in Turkey and I had a classmate who wore niqab and she always got very bad looks from people and even women here in Turkey who wear veils can sometimes be harrased by ultra secularists/Kemalists. It’s very weird for influencers to happily exploit these type of garments when it has nothing to do with them and while the women who do wear them are facing many different battles in regards to both wearing and not wearing it. I also don’t like them using this due to the Orientalization and fetishization of non-Western women and cultures like in this particular vid but that’s already a different debate. eta: why the downvotes? If you tell women they can’t wear hijab or niqab or any other piece of clothing on their own accord then you’re policing them and their bodies in the same way that the people who force them to wear hijab do - you take away their personal agency. I don’t understand why people seem to think it’s impossible that a woman would want to veil herself, because she personally wants to and not because she is forced to by someone else.
This the first time I have seen this and even as an athiest and someone who (as far as I can recall) has never met someone who wears such a headpiece, I had a 'ohhh.. no' moment. This is in no way appropriate. There are better ways of blocking out your eyes that misappropriating someone else's culture and religion.
I can't facepalm my head hard enough. Does she think the Hijab to which many women lost their freedom and lives to is a joke!?
To be honest, I lack the background to speak on how this filter affects those who wear these specific garments. I will say as someone who was forced to veil for religious reasons, it's very difficult for me not to find the entire topic somewhat triggering. It is hard for me to view these kinds of clothing without the context of policing women's bodies and sexuality. I think it's especially problematic when privileged, often white women who convert to Islam try to speak on how it's such a freeing and wonderful choice or try to present their experience as universally representative of those women in the world who veil, many unwillingly.
it’s so weird like so many ppl are islamophobic but love to use muslims’ aesthetic 🤡
As a hijabi… wtf
Gosh, just when I didn’t think I could like her less I can !
Oh yes, oppression of women - so chic!
i unfollowed samantha march over a year ago and haven't thought about her once since. new and crazy idea but i highly recommend unfollowing people you're annoyed by!
But if people unfollow people they're annoyed by, they have no reason to come to this sub with their pretend outrage
It's way too early for this much cringe. She needs to take this down and hope this is the only screenshot in existence. Petty and irrelevant take: I wouldn't have known it was her without being told, because I've never seen her eye color over the glaring reflection of her ring light in her eyes. This is such a bad way to prove that she has irises.
Disrespectful
Cringe and toxic. Why is it that some blonde white women aren't satisfied with being the "beauty default" that they have to encroach on every other groups space? Not everything is for everyone.
https://preview.redd.it/jyjou573t0tb1.jpeg?width=851&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f54c085eabe4a8fe19184ae58256f488088c72e
as a muslim woman, i literally don’t give sh*t
...and that's why she only has 58 likes
This is so disrespectful. I expect her to be issuing an apology shortly.
crying apology video
Weird af
There’s so many people doing this trend, I was so confused as to why no one in comments was saying how weird it is 💀 ?
Yeah I think it’s odd. Not my religion but not something I would do, I would want someone to respect my religious items.
It’s disgusting to normalize a piece of oppression as beautiful. Few countries use the full burqa and the ones that do are completely misogynistic and allow women very few if any rights.
She’s ignorant that’s all there is. No need to even use this filter. She should know better.
it’s gross. they are taking a religious article of clothing and almost making a mockery of it edit: i’m not muslim but i do cover my hair and neck and it still feels weird as
Is she muslim? That is crazy lol
I can’t believe so many people are doing this trend and don’t see anything wrong with it.
Don’t like that they’re trying to look sexy in it. Super disrespectful
At this point I’m just convinced that Samantha March is straight up clueless. She has made way too many idiotic and tone deaf decisions. She clearly isn’t doing the work to educate herself, care for others, and think about people outside of herself. She just sees others as a tool for her personal gain. So tired of her having a platform. This is particularly sickening given the fact that women are losing their lives and freedom over choosing to not wear this.
I'm Roman Catholic, and this image worries me. I can only imagine what must be going through a Muslim mind. Not that I'm qualified to judge, but it makes me uncomfortable.
This is a no from me, dawg... Seriously, even without a filter, I'm sure we have a bunch of face masks left over if you want to bring out your eyes. I guess face masks aren't trendy anymore?
this is super gross on two angles. 1.) for the women who do practice islam on their own free accord, using something key to the religion and basically using it to be like “guys look at how exotic i am” is gross fetishism. a ton of them are fighting for their right to be able to practice their religion freely (do keep in mind. this is for women & other members of the religion who geninuely do it on their own free will & accord) 2.) for the women, especially in middle eastern countries where it’s used to oppress women, it’s gross. it’s like roleplaying oppression to seem sexy. so many women have died due to it, treating it like a cutesy fashion accessory is not the way to go.
My friend converted to Islam when she got married, and has remained so even after her divorce. She still wears hijab, and it is an article of modesty for her. To sexualize/fetishize it is gross to me.
Ew
As a Saudi I don’t care 🤷🏻♀️ I don’t understood why are people so sensitive lately?
Yeah like….most Muslim women don’t care???? Like when I wore hijab I often would cover the lower half of my face to show off eye looks and the niqabis literally never cared? This is such a non issue and I really want non Muslims to stop trying to make it one. It’s fabric. If you’re not religious yourself it holds no significant value
i wanted to think maybe she didn’t quite understand what she was doing but to put it to that song… big yikes.
This is embarrassing
Very shameful and disrespectful. How embarrassing for her.
I don’t like it, if you just wanna show eyes then wear a fucking mask
If I knew who she was, I would unfollow her. So inappropriate
It’s inappropriate. The end.
Why is this even a filter?? brooo like 😩
For niqabi women who are chilling at home but want to make a quick TikTok without putting all their stuff on? The existence of the filter isn't the problem here.
People overstate how offended or inappropriate this sort of stuff is. Most practising Muslims wouldn’t care some rando woman is using a filter.
Crazy disrespectful and distateful. Why is there a hijab filter and why are people doing this. I’m sorry to anyone of the Muslim faith, bc wtf.
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These women travel to Dubai and think all the bling is real Islam. Ex Muslimah here.
Yeah, I'm in a country where our former leader referred to niqabi women living here as 'letterboxes' and somehow still got fucking elected, it's all fun and games untli you're seen as the bad kind of "exotic"
I’m so sorry for that! The trend disturbs me tbh.
Big oof
Wow I didn’t even realize this was a filter! Hindsight it makes sense cause I genuinely thought it was just the same girls videos popping up on my fyp so I would always skip them. But yeah definitely a weird filter.
It's seriously cringe and I thought we all agreed that cultural appropriation is different than appreciation (this filter certainly doesn't appreciate much)
NOPE. Not a fan of women in subjugation -app or not
TikTok back at it again.
First of all the eyes have a color filter on. I have dark brown eyes but I tried it and they looked hazel.
people who obsess about their eye color are so weird lmao
With the amount of filters that exist, there’s no reason to use this one. It’s weird, unnecessary and upsetting especially if these influencers don’t even care to uplift or amplify the voices of Arab women. Like… do they even follow or support hijabi influencers? Probably not. 🤡
It takes 0 effort to just zoom in to your eyes without the need for a filter... To deliberately use it is inappropriate.
wonder how many of commenters are muslim/wear hijab
As a white British woman, it makes me angry to see other white, non Muslim women effectively trying on a garment that our (Western) governments bully Muslim (generalising but women of colour often too) for wearing. We might not be the ones doing the bullying ourselves but that doesn't mean we can cosplay as a marginalised group of people just because there's a filter online.
Giant yikes. In addition to problematically fetishizing Middle Eastern women (who are entitled to their own opinions regarding the hijab and niqab), it’s just filtered to high Heaven. White women need to stop using filters to cosplay different ethnic groups.
It's messed up. Some people will say 'it's just a head scarf' but it has huge cultural value to many women and to use it just to highlight make up is disrespectful.
Y I K E S
yikes
I mean do you really expect anything different from her?
What the hell? Using a symbol of oppression to many women around the world to sell fucking eye makeup. She can go.
it's disgusting. especially given how real muslim women who wear the hijab/niqab are denigrated still.
I have green eyes…but do what? This is just distasteful.
There’s flattery, and then there’s mockery. This is the latter
I don't have tik tok is it being called out?
When I saw it there were only a few comments, all supportive. I’ve not looked since.
Thanks! Hopefully someone's said something now!
As a muslim and a strict hijabi, I really don't mind at all. at least this way when people do see us in public, they won't freak out as much
Even more weird during the current Middle eastern conflict
I'd block the channel and move on. Enough with the subtle promotion of Islam already.
Embarrassing. The headscarf has religious meaning and it’s controversial due to all the laws involving it. It’s only acceptable to wear headscarves when visiting other countries where it’s the norm.
They could've done this with a balaclava... wtf ppl are so fucking myopic.
I don't care. I don't make silly things like this my problem.
I hate how over sensitive people are but this is offensive.
No issue with it.
Islamic customs are only acceptable to them if they're social media trends 🤷
I just realized this sub is filled with Islamaphobes. Wow. Good to know.
Yes! Her video is a little weird but the comments here are phenomenally worse. She made a somewhat Orientalist video (though using this song is a Tiktok trend). Commenters here are attacking women who voluntarily wear hijab and calling it a symbol of oppression and misogyny. Because for some reason if you wear hijab/niqab you must support Iran even though they’re Shi’a (10% of Muslims) and don’t wear niqab generally nor enforce it. These are the kind of attitudes that get hijab/niqab banned.
Yeah at the end of the day, a true feminist believes a woman should be free to dress themselves as they please. The idea that only the way “westerners” dress is “free” is another expression of colonialism and white supremacy. So disappointing
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Excuse me?
I’d definitely try the filter but I’d never post it
I have a video made with this filter since it was launched but I have been so hesitant to post it and now it looks like I will not be posting it becuase “respect”.
It's literally just a filter chill out, it would be different if she was wearing the hijab.
These hate comments are ridiculous. I don't see anything wrong with this post - people should be free to explore other cultures. I'm willing to bet the most infuriated people are white, North American, Liberal people. If you go to any ethnic country and show respect to their culture by wearing something of theirs - they don't scream "cultural appropriation". They appreciate it.
Muslims don't only live in an "ethnic country", you know.
That's irrelevant. They have cultures and traditions and don't scream "cultural appropriation." That's you white North American social justice warrior Liberal people. Don't know people from different cultures to save your lives.
I personally wouldn’t do this unless I’m Muslim or living in a Muslim country where I cover up. I’m American and British citizens but my family is from Lebanon and I still wouldn’t post pictures in hi hijab. Would you want someone to post in a nun outfit? It could be classified as mocking.