How is the veil portrayed in Western Media - Essay Example

People are surrounded by time, culture, environment and the society, which can turn out the formation of many opinions about an issue that we face in everyday society. One of most controversial topics regards to Islam is the Veil. In the past twenty to thirty years Hijab or the veil has been widely recognized as a symbol of the Muslim woman in the western media. Many people want to know more about Islam and Muslim culture when they see a woman wearing a head scarf or a man with a full grown beard.

Many generalizations and questions are formed in the minds of so many western non-Muslims in regards to the basic idea and concepts behind the veil through the influence of their western media. During the time of conflict between the "Islam" and "West", the media powerfully altered the minds of western non-Muslims by negative exploitation about Islam, Muslims, in particular about Muslim women. Misconceptions, like, if they are bald under the veil or if Muslim women sleep with their veils on, to the involvement of "terrorism" that contrasts to what Muslim women believe the veil represents.

According to a CNN survey, Most Muslims come from lower middle class family backgrounds and their sole purpose for coming to America and living a good part of their lives away from their family is to make good money and send it back home. All the burden of the family is on their shoulders and they are the sole bread earners in the house. They just dont seem to be bothered by whatever is going around in the world as they are entangled in their daily routines. Usually these people are doing two or more than three jobs.

They dont realize that by not clarifying things, they are digging a hole for themselves.(Shah, 2001) Muslims believe western media use the veil as a means to exploit Muslim women, and degrade them. According to them in west media assumes, that the action of just one Muslim is the