Publication
Intersectional activism: Dutch-Turkish Muslim women 'talking back' to securitisation and Islamophobia
In this article, Tahir Abbas and Şerife Sena Güner investigate the efforts of influential Turkish Muslim civil society actors to amplify the voices of Muslim women in the Netherlands.
- Author
- Tahir Abbas and Şerife Sena Güner
- Date
- 09 May 2024
- Links
- Read the full article here
The gradual transition of Dutch policy from inclusion and multiculturalism to surveillance and securitisation, along with discriminatory discourses emphasising a clear distinction between Islam and Western virtues, has rendered the position of Muslim women controversial. This shift in policy and discourse reinforces the othering of Muslim women, who are already perceived as oppressed victims in a backward culture opposed to gender equality and women’s emancipation. The study employs the notion of 'talking back' as a key analytical framework to explain the responses of influential Dutch-Turkish Muslim women civil society actors.
The findings reveal that talking-back practices contribute to changing the perception of Muslim women from being seen as oppressed, passive, and silent figures, as promoted by Islamophobic and stereotypical approaches, to being viewed as struggling and vocal actors. This study stands out by highlighting the intersection of religion, gender, and ethnicity in the responses of Dutch-Turkish Muslim women, providing an inner critique of the patriarchal traditions embedded in Turkish culture, as well as Islamophobic and racist stereotypes in the Netherlands.
The research also underscores the critical awareness of younger Dutch-Turkish generations and their hybrid and multifaceted identities. Unlike the older generation of Turkish women who settled primarily to work in the Netherlands, these younger generations are willing to participate in multicultural activities, interact with different groups of people, and broaden their perspectives.