Abstract: For this assignment we had to choose a text that addresses a social, political, economic, or cultural issue that interests us and write a critical analysis of it.

The regular morning routine of many women includes waking up, putting on makeup and cute clothes to get ready for the day. These women dress up and apply makeup for themselves, to look good and feel good for their own pleasure. However, what has also become a part of many women’s morning routine is the unwanted attention they get from men as they are out and about. As they head to work, to school or even just as they’re running errands, many women are met with comments from random men about how they look. Studies show that more than 70% of women of all ages have experienced street harassment in one form or another (Thompson). Street harassment does not only include sexual comments, but can also include whistling, honking, sexual gestures as well as many other things. Different women respond to these situations differently and some may argue that one response is better than the other or one response is wrong. In Why We Smile at Men Who Sexually Harass Us by Hanna Brooks Olsen, she speaks about her experience with street harassment, something that most women can relate to. The author’s main point in writing this article is to convey the idea that when men make unwanted advances towards women and speak to them, the women should not ignore the men. Instead, she says women should respond in a kind way as this will cause the interaction to be over sooner and without any problems. However, there is no right answer when it comes to dealing with unwanted remarks from random men.

            Whether we like to admit it or not, the patriarchy is a system we have lived in since the beginning of time. Women have been seen as inferior to men in all aspects. Because of the society and environment we live in, men always feel as if they have control over women. They believe they have the right to catcall women and speak to them unnecessarily just because they are men. They feel as if their gender gives them an upper hand when dealing with women. In Katy Preen’s How Mean Men Expose the Misogyny Behind Catcalling, she states, “Men catcall to assert dominance and control women — whether it’s a ‘compliment’ or not” (Preen).  Catcalling always leads back to the internalized misogyny that the patriarchal system has normalized. Throughout Preen’s article, she continuously uses the word “we.” By doing this, it shows that her article is targeted towards women and how they can relate to the topic. Preen’s main purpose is to help women understand why men feel as though they have the right to do this. 

            In many instances of catcalling, women are the ones who are blamed for the actions of men. Although women are on the receiving end of the harassment, many say the women are provoking the men to act this way. This again goes back to misogyny and patriarchy. Men feel as though they are allowed to act as they want, because they have the upper hand and because women are provoking them. In an interview Michelle from the Street Harassment Project, told the interviewer Elizabeth Brookbank, how they often receive emails from men saying, “‘Well what do you expect me to do when I see a woman in a sexy outfit why is she wearing it if she doesn’t want me to say something to her’” (Brookbank 22). By including a direct email as an example of what many men say to defend themselves, Michelle is appealing to most readers emotions. As women read this, it mostly gets them riled up as it is an excuse that men use to defend their disgusting actions. The issue of victim blaming is very prevalent in cases of sexual harassment. Instead of men realizing that they need to keep their thoughts and hands to themselves, they feel the need to express it, though it makes women uncomfortable. Instead of taking accountability for their actions, they shift the blame to the women. In Olsen’s article she states, “What annoys me is the fact that I am being blamed for this moment in time, for this interaction.” This is something many women can relate to. When they tell others about their experiences with street harassment, usually men will put the blame on the women. In a way they know that what they are doing is wrong, but because they are men, they can’t be wrong. Therefore, they react to certain situations the way that they do. Michelle states, “…on occasion we have received some semi threatening emails from men saying things like if they ever caught a woman talking back to them, they would put her in the hospital or something to that effect” (Brookbank 23). When being confronted and called out on their wrong doings, men tend to get defensive and violent. Their pride gets hurt, and they feel humiliated because a woman who is supposed to be lower than them has spoken up. 

            While some may feel confident enough to stand up to their harasser, others do not feel the same. It all depends on what is comfortable for you, so while some choose to respond, others choose to ignore. In the article, How to Respond to Street Harassment, the author states, “There is no “right” or “perfect” response to harassment….” It’s important to remember that there is no right way to respond and if you are going to respond, remember that you are doing it for your own sake. In a survey conducted in 1986, it was found that 61% of women ignored the harassment while only 16% spoke up for themselves (Kulik 39). This shows that most women are not comfortable in speaking up against someone who is harassing them. In Olsen’s article she states, “’just ignoring it’ — is part of the problem” (Olsen). By saying this, she creates a rather hostile tone and seems to imply that there is a correct way to deal with the situation, which is to respond to the harasser. Although she mentioned before that she hates the idea of victim blaming, by saying that those who don’t respond are a part of the problem, Olsen sounds as if she is blaming the victim because they contribute to the problem. In reality, the only problem is caused by the harasser. 

            As the person on the receiving end of harassment, the women should be able to decide how to respond or if they want to respond at all. No one has the right to tell them how they should react when something like this happens. Olsen states, “…in large part because being silent — just ignoring it — doesn’t make women safer and I need you to know that” (Olsen). Though Olsen herself has dealt with street harassment like many women, it doesn’t give her the authority to tell others how they should react to their harassment. The women in the situation should be able to decide for themselves what is best for them. Each situation varies, meaning each response will vary. Olsen’s whole point through her article seemed to be targeted towards women and telling them that they should be responding to their harasser, rather than focusing more so on men and telling them why they shouldn’t be harassing women. 

            The issue of catcalling is one that far too many women can relate to. It is something that is out of the woman’s control no matter what. No matter the situation a woman is never to blame for being catcalled, whether she is walking down the street naked or fully clothed. Catcalling should never be happening in the first place, but since it is something that is so normalized, women have the right to decide what they want to do during the situation. It is up to them to analyze the situation and react in a way they feel comfortable with, whether that is to respond and confront them or ignore them. In Olsen’s article, it was unfair of her to tell women that they should always reply to their harasser and if they are not doing so, they are a part of the problem. Instead of telling women how to react to an uncomfortable and even traumatic situation, her main target audience should have been men and telling them not to even catcall in the first place. Many articles often only inform people about the issue or target women, while their focus should be on men. It is on the men to educate themselves and take action to make sure women are feeling safer. This is another big issue that must be tackled but the main issue at hand is that women should have the freedom to react to these uncomfortable situations as they see fit. 

Works Cited

Olsen, Hanna Brooks. “Why We Smile at Men Who Sexually Harass Us.” POPSUGAR News, 18 June 2019, www.popsugar.com/news/Personal-Essay-Street-Harassment-46263952. 

Brookbank, Elizabeth, and Michelle. “Talking Back: Women in NYC Confront Street Harassment.” Off Our Backs, vol. 32, no. 9/10, 2002, pp. 20–24. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20837659. Accessed 22 Apr. 2021.

Preen, Katy. “How Mean Men Expose The Misogyny Behind Catcalling.” Medium, Fearless She Wrote, 3 June 2019, www.medium.com/fearless-she-wrote/how-mean-men-expose-the-misogyny-behind-catcalling-3b3104f6b60f.

“How to Respond to Street Harassment.” Hollaback! Together We Have the Power to End Harassment, www.ihollaback.org/responding-to-harassers/. 

Kulik, Carol T., et al. “Responses To Sexual Harassment: The Effect Of Perspective.” Journal of Managerial Issues, vol. 9, no. 1, 1997, pp. 37–53. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40604128. Accessed 2 May 2021

Thompson, Rachel. “97% Of Young Women Have Been Sexually Harassed, Study Finds.” Mashable, Mashable, 10 Mar. 2021, mashable.com/article/sexual-harassment-un-women-uk/. 

Abstract: For this assignment, we were asked to communicate our ideas using images and text. I chose to stick to my topic of the misrepresentation of Muslims in the media.

Abstract: In this assignment we were asked to address a social, political, economic, or cultural issue that impacts us. I chose to write about the misrepresentation of Islam in the media today.

Misrepresentation of Muslims in the Media

The misrepresentation of Muslims has been an ongoing issue for several years with no rest. It has become so common and normalized that no one blinks an eye when it occurs right in front of them. The media is the number one factor as to why Muslims are treated the way they are. From claiming we are terrorists to claiming we oppress women, my religion has been constantly under fire from people all around the world. You would think that as our world progresses, people would educate themselves and begin to realize the truth. Unfortunately, this is not the case. 

         When you hear the word terrorist, who do you think of? When I hear this word, I myself, even think of Muslims. This word has been so closely associated with Muslims and Islam, that it has even become associated with our identity. A terrorist is “a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.” Nowhere in that definition does it say Muslim. However, this word is very closely related to us. Al-Qaeda and the Taliban are some commonly known terrorist groups, but what about the Ku Klux Klan (KKK)? The KKK is a white supremacist and terrorist group but is undermined simply because it consists of white members. It is unfair and a misjustice to Muslims to have this word be so closely associated with us when others do not face the same problem. 

         Growing up in a Muslim community, I didn’t realize the stigma surrounding Muslims. I would hear on the news how Muslims were known as terrorists and threats to society. Because of this Muslims are targeted for many hate crimes. In 2015, 78 attacks on mosques were recorded in the US. Although there are high rates of crimes against Muslims, I didn’t witness any hate crimes going on in my neighborhood as we are a predominantly Muslim community. For years and years, I didn’t realize how big of a problem Islamophobia was. However, when I started high school, I began to slowly get a taste of the real world. My school consisted of many Muslims; however, I was one of the only three hijabis which made me stick out like a sore thumb. There were countless times when I would be in the hallway or elevator and students would yell “Allahu Akbar.” I would always just pretend like I didn’t hear because I didn’t know how to confront them. Allahu Akbar means “God is the greatest,” but has become sort of like a slogan that many use to associate terrorism. 

In the media, when a Muslim commits a crime, they are automatically labelled as a terrorist. However, when it is a white person, they are given excuses. The headlines often highlight good qualities about them or say that they have mental problems. In 2019, Patrick Crusius went into a Walmart in El Paso, killing 22 and leaving dozens injured. CBS News described him as having ‘“a troubled youth’ and … [being] a loner.” This is how they described a white man who killed and injured dozens even after he published a manifesto online about hating Hispanics. Him being a loner and having a troubled youth does not justify his actions. He committed an act of terrorism and he should be held accountable for.

         Not only are Muslims thought of as terrorists, but also as people who are oppressed. There is a common misconception that Muslim women are oppressed because we cover ourselves. People think we are oppressed and uneducated because we choose to be modest. In reality, I believe hijab goes against society’s views of how women should be and holds a deeper meaning. It allows people to not focus on our outer appearance but more about what we have to say. In many tv shows nowadays, they make it seem as though women that wear the hijab are always forced to and oppressed and need a savior. For instance, in the Netflix show Elite, Nadia, was a Middle Eastern girl who entered a private school as the only hijabi. In the beginning of the show, she is seen as an ambitious girl who takes pride in her hijab. When she is told by her school that she is not allowed to wear it on school premises, she tries to fight this. However, as time goes on and she begins to get mixed into the wrong crowd, she is no longer the character she was at the beginning. She begins to go against Islamic values and starts to drink, party and have premarital sex- all of which she so desperately tried to avoid in the beginning. These acts were seen as her finally being free as she was no longer under the bounds of her religion and was able to do things she could not do before. Nadia also fell in love with a white male classmate and along with the temptation of teenage partying, drinking and sex, she ultimately took her hijab off as a way of showing others that she was like them. This was just another blow to the meaning of hijab as it seems this was done to bring Islam down. This show along with Nadia’s character gives the wrong perception of Islam as they follow the idea that Muslim women are oppressed and need to break free from the religion. This is one example of many shows that portray the same idea. 

            Muslims around the world are not allowed to freely follow their religion. Currently in China, there are concentration camps for Muslims, where they are treated inhumanely. There is a genocide occurring creating a second holocaust, but many are unaware of the situation because it is happening to Muslims which is why it is not widely shown in the media. Another issue similar to this situation has been occurring in Burma for many years. Rohingya Muslims are being persecuted for their religion and are fleeing their country as refugees. In addition to this, for years and years, women in France have been discriminated against for wearing head coverings. In 2011, France banned face coverings in public spaces, targeting Muslim woman. Just this past week Switzerland and Sri Lanka banned face coverings and burqas. It is ironic how we are in the middle of a pandemic where face coverings are mandatory in many places but banned in others because of a religion. Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani, Muslim activist for female education, was told she would have to remove her hijab if she wanted to teach in a school in Quebec. Muslims are some of the only people constantly held back because of our religion.  

            Many people rely on the media for news and current events. The media can be a good source of information at times, but often it can be misleading. This is seen with the portrayal of Islam and Muslim people. Since Muslims were first linked to terrorism with the acts of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, the media’s portrayal of all Muslims has been tainted. Majority of Muslims are painted in a bad light, no matter the reason they are being talked about in the media.