Cut From The Same Cloth?

I was drawn to this book as I always keen to explore more about issues of religion, identity, race and culture. Having studied Islam during A Level Religion and Philosophy, I don’t feel myself to be ignorant, but I definitely agree with the writers who, in the blurb for this book, state that their voices are not heard loud enough (if indeed at all) in modern British society.

Blurb:

Do you wear that at home? Where are you really from? Does he make you wear that? Do you support acts of terror? Do you believe in British values ? Can I see your hair? Do you have equality? Are you hot in that? Can you be a feminist? Why don t you just take it off? Do you wear that in the shower? Are you oppressed?

From modern pop culture to anti-Blackness, faith and family, politics, education, creativity and working life; this anthology gives visibly Muslim women creatives a space to speak to the matters that mean most to them.

SPOILER ALERT: We won t be answering the usual questions!

Perceived as the visual representation of Islam, hijab-wearing Muslim women are often harangued at work, at home and in public life yet are rarely afforded a platform on their own terms. Whether it s awkward questions, radical commentators sensationalising our existence, non-Muslims and non-hijabis making assumptions, men speaking on our behalf, or stereotypical norms being perpetuated by the same old faces, hijabis are tired.

Cut from the Same Cloth? seeks to tip the balance back in our favour. Here, twenty-one middle- and working-class women of all ages and races look beyond the tired tropes, exploring the breadth of our experience and spirituality. It s time we, as a society, stop with the hijab-splaining and make space for the women who know.

My thoughts:

I am not a Muslim, but I am an agnostic, white, woman with a working class background who is a now a teacher and has a black African partner, with a mixed race child. This is the point of view from which I write this book.

I completely understand that the authors’ intentions were not to educate, as to say that you could educate someone of what it’s like to be a Muslim woman in this complex, postcolonial, unjust world in just under 300 pages completely undermines and simplifies the issues. However, I have definitely found this book to be thought-provoking and interesting.

It was interesting to think of the idea of “equality” and how we can never all be equal, because in every corner of society there exists different prejudices, values, priorities etc. I could identify with what some of these well educated women were saying as I have seem myself that, despite having been educated myself above and beyond the expectations of society and my family, I still struggle with “imposter syndrome” and self-confidence issues.

I found it particularly fascinating to read the essays which discussed the inherent racism (though they are think they are reluctant to use this word at times) that exists within the British education system. Of course, they are not saying that every teacher or institution is racist, but rather the curriculum itself needs work in order to ensure that the teaching of history and Geography particularly, and I would argue languages too, is more balanced and inclusive. This is of particular importance to me as I am an English teacher, but I also have a daughter who is mixed race, and whose father was born and raised in West Africa. I categorically do not want the only thing she learns at school about the history and geography of this part of the world to be the narrative told by the privileged white man.

You would have to have been living under a rock to have missed the increasing suspicion that surrounds Muslim people following a series of terrorist attacks in Britain over the last ten years or so, which the media then uses to drive forward a very specific and unhelpful narrative around religion and tolerance. However, I’ll be honest that as the majority of these attacks were done by men, I’m ashamed to say I’d never really thought of the pressure and unwanted attention this then places on Muslim women. This book has definitely opened my eyes to that.

This has been a thought-provoking, emotive and inspirational read. I am so glad that these Muslim women have been given a space and a voice. I will definitely be recommending this book.

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