First hijabi in Playboy sparks debate within Muslim community
First hijabi in Playboy sparks debate within Muslim community
American journalist Noor Tagouri this week became the first hijab-wearing woman to be featured in Playboy, sparking debate within the Muslim community over her decision to appear in the magazine.
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Last year, Playboy decided to drop fully nude female photography from its pages [Instagram]
American journalist Noor Tagouri this week became the first hijab-wearing woman to be featured in Playboy, sparking debate within the Muslim community over her decision to appear in the men's lifestyle magazine.
The 22-year-old Libyan-American was featured in the October issue of the magazine, famous for its nude photo shoots, dubbed the "renegades" issue.
A fully-clothed Tagouri said that her hijab has helped her get ahead in the media industry, in the published online on Thursday.
"To be honest, I think being a hijabi Muslim woman, helped me gain trust,"
"I know what it's like to have the narrative of our community be skewed and exploited in the media. I was like, 'Hey, I know what it’s like to be misrepresented in the media. I won't do that to you. I want to tell your story because it’s important and deserves justice'."
The journalist for online news network also said she was proud to be an inspiration to other young Muslim women.
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| Tagouri aspires to become the first hijabi anchor on commercial US TV [Twitter] |
"I recently had a mum come up to me and tell me that her daughter is in the 6th grade and had just started wearing the hijab. She shared how a lot of the other girls tease her and put her down because of the hijab,"
"She went on to tell me that her daughter watches all of my videos and every time she gets picked on, she pulls up my Instagram or tells them to 'google Noor Tagouri and then talk to me'."
Last year, Playboy to drop fully nude female photography from its pages. Despite the lack of nudity, Tagouri's interview has received mixed responses from Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
In an opinion piece in The Muslim Vibe, commentator Hussain Makke said Tagouri's appearance was a symptom of the wider issue of the "watering-down" of Islamic values.
"Noor's actions are not a one-off instance. This is a result of Muslims attempting to integrate into the wider modern society at the expense of their Islamic principles," Makke said.
On the other hand, many Twitter users came to the defence of journalist, who aspires to become the first hijabi anchor on commercial US television.
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