The Veil Unveiled

Submitted by Alexandra J. (United Kingdom), Jan 5, 2004 at 12:44

I initially stumbled across this review looking for a used copy to use for research here at SOAS. Perhaps it is just me, but as a graduate student specializing in Middle Eastern gender studies I found Shirazi's book to offer some helpful insight into the actual manipulation of the veil in other cultures and in contrast with its use within the Middle East.

I did suffer from a bit of dismay that parts of the book so heavily emphasized Iran, but in the context in which I work, it became a positive. I also realize that in terms of studying the dynamics of the veil, Iran is perhaps our best "working" case study as social anthropologists.

I thoroughly enjoyed Shirazi's book overall and it was interesting to contrast the materials she herself collected and used with my own collection of "veil propaganda." She did an excellent job and I think it was also a very ambitious look at a sometimes terribly overanalyzed topic.

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