Talking about access in my post awhile ago, I touched on sexuality. Since this is one of my favorite topics, it got me thinking about sexuality in the Muslim world, and the binaries that Orientalism creates for Muslim women’s sexuality.
When you think of a Muslim woman in the context of sexuality, which images come up? If you watch movies, Muslim women are usually seen in one of two lights, sort of like a Madonna/whore complex. Except it’s with bellydancers and niqabs: the exotic, hypersexual belly dancer, or the forbidding, stern niqabi whose eyes say “No way are you getting under these robes.” Instead of the Madonna/Whore Complex, we have the Belly Dancer/Burqa complex.
The belly dancer half of this dichotomy is always hypersexual and hypersexy. Scantily-clad, of course; jewelry with coins, armbands with snakes, and usually really thick eyeliner are her trademarks. She’s there to please, please, please (sexually, of course). Usually, the belly dancer is featured by herself (when she’s not with the rest of the harem girls) and she’s aiming to entertain/seduce/serve the main man: movies like Lawrence of Arabia and From Russia With Love are excellent examples. I even found a list of all of the western movies that have bellydancers in them. Even on TV we see this crap: I Dream of Jeannie wasn’t a belly dancer, but she was a genie in Orientalist garb with an intent to please her master. (shudder)
The burqa half is sightly more fluid (it includes burqas, niqabs, and hejabs, oh my), but they all 
have the same attitude: no sex. Purity is paramount, and purity means virginity. Usually, the burqa half will also exhibit very Madonna-like (or in our case, Fatima-like) characteristics: selfless, she is always a “good” mother and wife (meaning never thinking about herself, only thinking about her family).
However, the ladies in scarves are never the main female role. They’re usually featured in groups, erasing any individuality, and always in black, erasing their humanity. They’re really just scenery…scary, asexual, “native” scenery: Not Without My Daughter is a perfect example here.
Both of these images are just tired (especially considering that Orientalism has been churning out these images for centuries). I think it’s time we shelved this make-believe binary. Besides, I’m really tired of seeing genie and belly dancer “costumes” every Halloween.
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Good analysis. But another role of the burqa-/niqab-/hijab-clad woman is damsel in distress. You should see the old Hungarian films about the Turkish occupation. The veiled woman, shyly hiding behind a tree, watches as the non-Turkish fighter “rescues” her and then takes her as his wife. She then takes off the transparent face veil as she lives with him and learns his customs. The child-like shyness and modesty (covering her face when strangers approach) never goes away.
I sort of just put all women in these categories under “damsel in distress,” because that’s the only role that the movies put them in. Even if the belly dancer is seducing some guy’s brains out, she still will need his help sometime…and the role of the “covered” woman as helpless is pretty much a cliche. But the idea of woman as helpless is a good point to remember; it’s always there, no matter how independent we are.
What about Muslim women as portrayed in Bollywood films? One movie Veer Zaara, I quite liked the portrayal of the female lawyer working to try and free the protagonist.Although I wonder about Zaara the main character. I don’t believe it’s implicitly stated she’s Muslim, but it’s implied. She may fit the doting woman stereotype, selfless and good.
Ah! Let me clarify; thanks for bringing this to my attention, Jessica.The context of these media images I’m focusing on is in Western media. Within the Western media, we’re portrayed as either exotic belly dancers or stern asexual hejabis.
I was just searching google now for articles about Muslim women being portrayed as sexual/ asexual humans, and I came across this post. I love it