5 Issues (Out of Many) to Focus on Instead of a “Hijabi” in Playboy

By Layla Abdullah-Polous

Editor’s Note: This piece is a guest post by Layla Abdullah-Polous, who founded the site Native born American Muslims.

Writer’s Note: Although most readers know me for a certain writing style, occasionally, I need to let my indignation be my guide. This is one of those times.

Initially, I really didn’t have more than a passing interest in the fact that a covered Muslim woman would have her name or face in a periodical like Playboy, its current brand change notwithstanding. I was not inclined to address it at all. A Muslim in Playboy is not of great concern to someone who traverses through her neighborhood and in and out of area stores with Muslims selling alcohol, pork and a bevy of products that contribute to a litany of social ills, including alcoholism, drug abuse and domestic violence.

Therefore, a Muslim woman in a periodical with a sketchy reputation is not that major deal, except so many Muslims seem certain to make it one.

The first one or two articles and status updates were fine, but everyone has jumped in to lend their opinion to the point of utter nausea. People want to chastise her, defend her, bully her, use her to talk about the masculine economy and so forth. What I find the most incredible is that in a social media culture, where stories come and go in a blink of an eye, this issue of a Muslim woman covered up in Playboy just won’t seem to die.

It boggles the mind how tenacious Muslims are about the “hijabi-Playboy” drama and determined to write and write … and write about it while ignoring more pertinent issues that adversely affect Muslim women’s lives.

So, I am going to focus on five reasons/issues why so many Muslim women and I do not have time for the “hijabi-Playboy” mess that so many American Muslim writers, speakers, imams and commentators frequently ignore. Five things (out of many) that we should turn our attention to. I won’t be using the woman’s name because frankly this is not about her, and I think she’s gotten more attention than she deserves from this nonsense.

Reason one: The targeting and killing of Black lives.