Somebody on the social media desk at Vogue France made a blunder on Friday, when what was probably intended as a light-hearted round-up of Paris Fashion Week street style on Instagram provoked an international uproar over inclusivity and Islamophobia.
The post in question was a carousel of four photographs of Kanye West and his girlfriend, Julia Fox, opening with an image of Fox dressed in a leather trench and black headscarf. The now-amended caption originally stated: “Yes to the headscarf!”
The irony was not lost on Muslim social media users across the globe, who were quick to flood the comments section with their outrage, disappointment and incredulity.
In France, after all, hijabs are banned on minors under the age of 18 and, last month, the French senate voted to ban hijabs on Muslim women playing sports.
The country has taken one of the most severe anti-hijab and anti-niqab stances in Europe. Niqabs are banned in all public places – a law that was not amended even when the government mandated face masks for Covid-19, which cover the same area of the face. Meanwhile, celebrities like Fox have been allowed to cover their hair and even faces in Paris over the past week.
It’s pretty ironic considering how any Muslim woman covering her hair is afraid for her safety, unless you’re a white woman wearing it for fashion purposes
Safiya Abdallah,
modest fashion designer
“It’s pretty ironic considering how any Muslim woman covering her hair is afraid for her safety, unless you’re a white woman wearing it for fashion purposes,” says modest fashion designer Safiya Abdallah, who lives in Dubai.
Upon seeing Vogue France’s post, French-Moroccan hijabi influencer Hanan Houachmi shared it to her Instagram Stories and helped it go viral. She tells The National about her first reaction to reading the caption.
“It was a strong feeling of injustice, and at the same time, it really was painful to see how those four simple words were so easy to put under the picture of this woman, when we’ve been waiting and hoping and fantasising that France would at some point say those words for us,” she says.
“To read these words while there are still laws being voted on to keep forbidding Muslim women to actually be a part of our society, and with all of the hatred around the hijab, but then you see this white woman putting a scarf on and all of a sudden those four words are so easy to put out there – it’s offensive, and it was very triggering for me.”
Houachmi points out that Muslim women have long been saying the hijab is a simple piece of fabric, yet the French government have made it a weighty “anti-feminist” symbol. Now, in Vogue France’s easily deleted caption, it was reduced to just that – a simple piece of fabric.
Despite the government’s anti-hijab stance, Houachmi believes that Vogue France can choose to be a platform that promotes more inclusive values. Rather than expecting them to make any outright political comments in support of Muslim women, Houachmi asks why the publication hasn’t been an “ally” by including hijabi models in its campaigns and editorials – after all, Vogue publications across the globe have taken steps towards working with visibly Muslim women.
“We’re French, we’re part of this society and we’re readers of this magazine – they have a big Muslim female audience – yet they don’t cater to us, they keep ignoring us,” she says. “We’re unseen and unheard.”
Addressing Vogue France on Instagram, Houachmi provided examples of other Vogue titles representing hijabi women – from British Vogue’s July 2021 cover featuring pandemic front-line workers such as Anisa Omar, to the November 2021 cover of Vogue Germany, which starred Ikram Abdi Omar. She also mentioned Rawdah Mohamed, who was named fashion editor of the new Vogue Scandinavia last year. Coincidentally, Mohamed commented on Vogue France’s Instagram post stating: “Oh, the irony of it all!”
Muslims also expressed their discontent with the magazine on Twitter, where the double standards implied by the initial caption were called “disgusting”, “frustratingly tone-deaf” and “a slap in the face of every Muslim woman who has faced harassment for wearing the hijab”.
Stylist and fashion commentator Osama Chabbi, who lives in Dubai, said: “Don’t caption your post, ‘yes to the headscarf’ when my mum has been told ‘no to your headscarf’ in several institutions.”
Although the publication quickly changed the caption after receiving backlash, Houachmi believes that the amendment, which made no mention at all of headscarves, reflected poor judgment. “The point I was trying to make was not to censure the headscarf and to erase us ever more,” she says.
It was amended to: "Swipe left for your recap of @JuliaFox & @KanyeWest style journey at the haute couture shows in Paris this week."
Chabbi, however, says the decision to remove reference to the headscarf was the right one. “Until they take a clear educational step in introducing their readers to the hijab, taking a firm stance to be standing with these women, they don’t get the right to talk about the headscarf as a potential ‘fashion trend’," she wrote on Twitter.
Perhaps Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, founder of online platform MuslimGirl, said it best in her Instagram caption: “The fashion industry has a responsibility to say, ‘yes to the headscarf’ when it’s on Muslim women too.”
Vogue France’s Instagram caption fiasco has taken place just days before World Hijab Day, which falls on February 1. And while there is much to celebrate about the increasing inclusion and positive representation of hijabi women in fashion over the past few years, incidents like this take the inclusivity movement backwards, not forwards.
Test series fixtures
(All matches start at 2pm UAE)
1st Test Lord's, London from Thursday to Monday
2nd Test Nottingham from July 14-18
3rd Test The Oval, London from July 27-31
4th Test Manchester from August 4-8
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Read more about the coronavirus
Famous left-handers
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- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
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- Jack the Ripper
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NBA Finals so far
(Toronto lead 3-1 in best-of-seven series_
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
SANCTIONED
- Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
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- Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
- Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
if you go
The flights
Emirates fly direct from Dubai to Houston, Texas, where United have direct flights to Managua. Alternatively, from October, Iberia will offer connections from Madrid, which can be reached by both Etihad from Abu Dhabi and Emirates from Dubai.
The trip
Geodyssey’s (Geodyssey.co.uk) 15-night Nicaragua Odyssey visits the colonial cities of Leon and Granada, lively country villages, the lake island of Ometepe and a stunning array of landscapes, with wildlife, history, creative crafts and more. From Dh18,500 per person, based on two sharing, including transfers and tours but excluding international flights. For more information, visit visitnicaragua.us.
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Schedule for Asia Cup
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
MATCH INFO
Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)
Match is live on BeIN Sports
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
SUNDAY'S ABU DHABI T10 MATCHES
Northern Warriors v Team Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangla Tigers v Karnataka Tuskers, 5.45pm
Qalandars v Maratha Arabians, 8pm
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
