Terror(izing) the “Veil”: American Muslim Women Caught in the Crosshairs of Intersectionality

Abstract

The September 11 terrorist attacks transformed the meaning of the Muslim headscarf.1 No longer is the crux of the debate whether the ``veil'' is used to oppress women by controlling their sexuality and, by extension, their personal freedoms and life choices. Rather, a Muslim headscarf ``marks'' the wearer as a representative of the suspicious, inherently violent, and forever foreign ``terrorist other'' in our midst.2