A Muslim model whose protest against a hijab ban in France went viral has been named as editor of the new Vogue Scandinavia.
Rawdah Mohamed, a Somali-Norwegian model, is the first hijabi editor of color to head a fashion magazine in the west, The Guardian reported.
“Vogue Scandinavia has taken the diversity issue to the next step, meaning creating [a] work environment where people of different backgrounds are being valued,” said Mohamed, whose April Instagram post “hands off my hijab” started a campaign that trended on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
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“We can participate in conversations, take part in decision-making processes and are able to have an influential voice in fashion.”
Mohamed announced her new position in a post on Instagram saying: “I’m hoping to be a cultural force with lots of learning, growing and facing the challenges that comes with it.”
“It has a huge impact for Muslims, and I see this as [a] collective achievement to better understand the world of fashion,” she said.
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Along with Mohamed, the magazine had hired other minority ethnic people in top-level editorial positions.
“This is important as it takes off the societal pressure and the emotional labour of being the only ethnic minority on the team,” she said.
For Muslim women, religious beliefs and values determine the ways they structure and approach their life.
Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one’s affiliations.
Islam is a fundamental aspect of their identity and their approach to sport is often determined by religious, cultural, and ethnic factors.