Amena Khan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 November 1983 |
| Occupations |
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| Spouse | Osaama Khamkar (m. 2006) |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | pearl-daisy |
Amena Khan is a British fashion designer, and internet celebrity. [1] She is best known for founding the fashion company Pearl Daisy, designing head scarfs, [2] and becoming the first hijab model in a L'Oreal hair-care campaign. [3] [4] [5]
Amena Khan was born in Leicester, England in 1983. [2] She was raised in a Hyderabadi Muslim family from India [6] but did not start wearing hijab until she was in her early twenties. She felt like she never saw people of her background portrayed in a positive light on television and that's what inspired her to become a model. [7] Khan began wearing the hijab at 22 and decided to take it off at 36. She stated both decisions were made of her own free will with no external pressures and both decisions made her feel empowered. [8]
In 2006, Khan married Osaama Khamkar. The couple has two children— a son born May 2009 and a daughter born March 2011. [2]
In 2009, Khan began hand-sewing and creating hijabs to sell to her YouTube fan base. This turned into her company which she entitled Pearl Daisy. Later on, she invented the "Hoojab" as part of the Pearl Daisy brand and has since become a staple for the company. The Hoojab is a hijab headscarf with a built in hood. The hood is supposed to create more styling options and make it easier for wearers to get the proportions right because when the hood is placed on the head, there is already a long side and short side built in. [9] [10] [11]
Pearl Daisy closed down on 6 September 2021 at midnight after 12 years of operation and plans to stay closed until further notice. They decided it was time to let go of the business after struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year. However, they did leave the possibility open for restarting the business in the future. [12]
In 2015, Khan co-founded Ardere Cosmetics a cruelty-free makeup line meant for darker skinned woman. [9] A 2018 article referred to the cosmetics company as a "luxury" brand that had "affordable" prices and was emerging as a mainstream competitor. [13] She also has her own false lash line called Lashionery and in 2018, she launched a clothing line for her fashion boutique Pearl Daisy. [9]
In 2018, Khan became the first woman wearing a hijab to be part of a mainstream advert for hair care. [3] [4] [5] However, this accomplishment was short lived— she resigned following the criticism of her now deleted tweets criticising Israel's military action in Gaza in 2014, in which she stated that the Israeli government were "child killers." She later said: [14] [15] [16]
I deeply regret the content of the tweets I made in 2014, and sincerely apologize for the upset and hurt that they have caused. Championing diversity is one of my passions, I don’t discriminate against anyone. I have chosen to delete them as they do not represent the message of harmony that I stand for.
Editorial writers Kate Wilkinson Cross and Rajnaara C Akhtar wrote an article comparing Khan's treatment during the L'Oréal controversy and Gal Gadot's treatment who made similar comments from the other side of the argument about the same exact event Khan commented on. After Israel took military action in Gaza in 2014, Gal Gadot tweeted her support of the Israeli military and Amena Khan tweeted her disapproval of the event. Yet the reactions they received were very different. The editorials writers wrote: [17]
It seems clear that neither Gadot nor Khan can be accused of being extreme, and both are entitled to their views. But only one has felt the need to resign as a result.
Other political outlets have also spoken up about the complexity of this issue. The Intercept interviewed a political fashion blogger and activist named Hoda Katebi about Khan stepping down from the L'Oréal partnership and she said: "Brands want the face, but they don’t want the complex politics or the identity or the voice behind it... Once a Muslim woman asserts her agency, they’ll strip that away.” Backing up her comments, writer of the same Intercept article, Rashmee Kumar, explained that brands are trying to tap into a billion dollar Muslim consumer market by "positioning themselves as socially conscious havens for Muslims" except they are "operating on a profit motive rather than a moral imperative." [18]
However no matter how complex the issue may be, journalist Toi Staff, wrote that calling Israel an "illegal, sinister" state and that "Insha’Allah (God willing), defeat also awaits the former; it’s only a matter of time,” as Amena Khan has, will always be antisemitic and should never be excused. [19]
In 2017, Khan was featured by Elle Magazine as one of four Muslim beauty influencers, in which she spoke about fighting against stereotypes as well as her experience wearing a headscarf. She said "Growing up without a headscarf I can see the stark difference between how I was treated then to how I'm treated now." [20]
In 2018, She was featured in Vogue Magazine following the announcement of her L'Oréal hair campaign. The magazine hailed her as a "perfect" hair ambassador and pointed out that this is a first for headscarf wearing women. Writer of the article, Lisa Niven-Phillips, states why the work Khan is doing for L'Oréal is so important: [7]
A large part of what makes this campaign so important and so overdue is the conversations it will provoke and the young people who will see it and at last find people that they can relate to and identify with on their smartphone screens and in their magazines.
In 2019, Khan landed a partnership with Bumble and became a Bumble Bizz Ambassador. Bumble is a networking app used for dating, friendships, and business. The business side of the app was attempting to expand by creating brand ambassadors to promote the company. [21] [22] Khan became one of those ambassadors and used this opportunity to uplift Muslim and South Asian business women by holding a workshop and networking event that focused on that demographic. [23] [24]
In 2020, Khan started a podcast called Thrive that airs on Spotify and iTunes. She does both solo episodes and episodes with different guests. Her solo episodes focus on sharing information about "everything from beauty to health, to business, parenting, education and spirituality", whereas her guest episodes focus more on stories from the guest that center around personal growth. [25]
In modern usage, hijab generally refers to various headcoverings conventionally worn by most Muslim women. While a hijab can come in many forms, it often specifically refers to a headscarf, wrapped around the head and neck, covering the hair, neck, and ears but leaving the face visible. The use of the hijab has been on the rise worldwide since the 1970s and is viewed by many Muslims as expressing modesty and faith. There is a consensus among Islamic religious scholars that covering the head is either required or preferred, though some Muslim scholars and activists argue that it is not mandated.
L'Oréal S.A. is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field, concentrating on hair color, skin care, sun protection, make-up, perfume, and hair care.
Islamic clothing is clothing that is interpreted as being in accordance with the teachings of Islam. Muslims wear a wide variety of clothing, which is influenced not only by religious considerations, but also by practical, cultural, social, and political factors. In modern times, some Muslims have adopted clothing based on Western traditions, while others wear modern forms of traditional Muslim dress, which over the centuries has typically included long, flowing garments. Besides its practical advantages in the climate of the Middle East, loose-fitting clothing is also generally regarded as conforming to Islamic teachings, which stipulate that body areas which are sexual in nature must be hidden from public view. Traditional dress for Muslim men has typically covered at least the head and the area between the waist and the knees, while women's islamic dress is to conceal the hair and the body from the ankles to the neck. Some Muslim women also cover their face. However, other Muslims believe that the Quran does not mandate that women need to wear a hijab or a burqa.
A headscarf is a scarf covering most or all of the top of a person's, usually women's, hair and head, leaving the face uncovered. A headscarf is formed of a triangular cloth or a square cloth folded into a triangle, with which the head is covered.
Gal Gadot-Varsano is an Israeli actress and model. She was crowned Miss Israel 2004 and represented her country at the Miss Universe 2004 pageant. She then served in the Israel Defense Forces for two years as a combat fitness instructor, whereafter she began studying at IDC Herzliya while building her modeling and acting careers.
In France, there is an ongoing social, political, and legal debate concerning the wearing of the hijab and other forms of Islamic coverings in public. The cultural framework of the controversy can be traced to France's history of colonization in North Africa, but escalated into a significant public debate in 1989 when three girls were suspended from school for refusing to remove their headscarves. That incident, referred to in France as l'affaire du foulard or l'affaire du voile, initially focused the controversy on the wearing of the hijab in French public schools. Because of the wide-ranging social debates caused by the controversy, l'affaire du foulard has been compared to the Dreyfus affair in its impact on French culture.
Hijab and burka controversies in Europe revolve around the variety of headdresses worn by Muslim women, which have become prominent symbols of the presence of Islam in especially Western Europe. In several countries, the adherence to hijab has led to political controversies and proposals for a legal partial or full ban in some or all circumstances. Some countries already have laws banning the wearing of masks in public, which can be applied to veils that conceal the face. Other countries are debating similar legislation, or have more limited prohibitions. Some of them apply only to face-covering clothing such as the burqa, boushiya, or niqab; some apply to any clothing with an Islamic religious symbolism such as the khimar, a type of headscarf. The issue has different names in different countries, and "the veil" or hijab may be used as general terms for the debate, representing more than just the veil itself, or the concept of modesty embodied in hijab.
Anoushey Ashraf is a Pakistani VJ and actress. As a VJ, she appeared on the music channel MTV Pakistan. She has also acted in a play for PTV directed by Saira Kazmi in a 13-episode serial – in which her role was that of a best friend of the lead, played by Marina Khan. She is now the face of brands such as Ponds, Warid Telecom, L'Oreal, chinyere and MTV.
The Republic of Turkey has been a secular state since the constitutional amendment of 1937. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk introduced the secularization of the state in the Turkish Constitution of 1924, alongside his reforms. Over 95% of Turkey's population is Muslim, and the suppression of hijab/headscarves and other prominent religious symbols in government institutions and public schools, (similar to policies in France, Quebec and Mexico) has led to heated controversy at times in Turkey. Specifically, it has resulted in a clash between those favoring the secular principles of the state, such as the Turkish Armed Forces, and religious conservatives, including Islamists. In the 21st century, since 2003, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have worked to reverse this, and “raise a pious generation” in Turkey.
In modern usage, ḥijāb (hijab) generally refers to the various headcoverings frequently worn by Muslim women. Wearing hijab is mandatory in some Muslim countries, and optional or restricted in other majority Muslim and majority non-Muslim countries. In the Indonesian Aceh province, Muslim women are required to wear the hijab and all women are required to do so regardless of religion in Iran and Afghanistan. In countries such as Saudi Arabia, the hijab is not required. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Palestinian school officials have voted to require young girls to wear hijab, while Palestinian jihadists belonging to the Unified Leadership (UNLU) have rejected a hijab policy for women. They have also targeted those who seek to impose the hijab.
Ibtihaj Muhammad is an American sabre fencer and member of the United States fencing team. She is known for being the first Muslim American woman to wear a headscarf while competing for the United States in the Olympics, as well as for winning an Olympic medal (bronze) wearing it.
World Hijab Day is an annual event founded by Nazma Khan in 2013, taking place on 1 February each year in 140 countries worldwide. Its stated purpose is to encourage women of all religions and backgrounds to wear and experience the hijab for a day and to educate and spread awareness on why hijab is worn. Nazma Khan said her goal was also to normalize hijab wearing.
Mariah Idrissi is a British model, public speaker, and online personality. Idrissi initially gained recognition as the first Muslim hijab-wearing model when she appeared in multinational retailer, H&M's "Close the Loop" campaign in 2015; after which, Idrissi became a leading authority on "modest fashion" appearing on domestic and international news programmes on the subject. In 2016, Idrissi signed to Select modelling agency in 2016 and signed with Insanity Group Management in 2017.
Islamic Fashion as a phenomenon stemmed from the combination of a set of Islamic practices and of the rising need and desire to include these specific clothing items in a broader fashion industry. The global growth of “an Islamic consumer sector, which explicitly forges links between religiosity and fashion, encouraging Muslims to be both covered and fashionable, modest and beautiful,” is relatively fresh: Islamic Fashion as a particular phenomenon started appearing toward the 1980s.
The Guidance Patrol or morality police is an Islamic religious police force and vice squad in the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Guidance Patrol enforced Sharia—Islamic law—per laws in Iran; this is most often the enforcement of Islamic dress code, such as ensuring women in the country wear hijabs. The Guidance Patrol was formed in 2005 as a successor organisation to the older Islamic Revolution Committees, and reports to the Supreme Leader.
Nura Afia is an American beauty vlogger. In November 2016, CoverGirl cosmetics company named her one of its brand ambassadors. Afia is the CoverGirl's first brand ambassador who wears a hijab.
Halima Aden is an American fashion model. She is noted for being the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant, where she was a semi-finalist. Following her participation in the pageant, Halima received national attention and was signed to IMG Models. She was also the first model to wear a hijab and burkini in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Alexina Lorna Graham is an English fashion model. Graham began working with Victoria's Secret after walking in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017. She became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2019, and is the first redhead to ever become an Angel. Graham is also a brand ambassador for L'Oréal Paris.
Hijabophobia is a type of religious and cultural discrimination against Muslim women who wear the hijab. The discrimination has had manifestations in public, working and educational places.
Rawdah Mohamed is a Norwegian-Somali model, Instagram model, blogger, healthcare professional and activist. She is known for her street style modelling and also regarded as a prominent advocate for the rights of Muslim women. She is currently represented by the model management company The Society Management. In April 2021, she started the hashtag campaign #Handsoffmyhijab, which became trending in social media.
