Rawdah Mohamed

Last updated

Rawdah Mohamed
Born
Somalia
NationalitySomali
Occupation(s)Social media influencer, model, blogger, activist, healthcare professional
Years active2019–present

Rawdah Mohamed is a Norwegian-Somali model, Instagram model, blogger, healthcare professional and activist. [1] 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. [2] [3]

Contents

Biography

Rawdah was born in Somalia and started wearing a headscarf at the age of seven. She moved to Norway with her family at the age of eight and pursued her primary education. In Norway, she was subjected to racism, abuse, and bullying by her fellow school classmates especially for wearing a hijab and for her skin colour. [4]

Career

She initially pursued her career as a social media personality and now has over 200,000 followers on Instagram. [5] In addition, she had served as a healthcare professional working with children who were affected with autism. Rawdah has also worked as a behavioral analyst dealing with mentally disabled people. [6]

She had engaged in modelling campaigns in Arab style prior to engaging as a model in various western fashion shows such as Oslo Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, Copenhagen Fashion Week and Norwegian celebrity gala Kjendisgallaen. [7]

She pursued her international street style career at the Oslo Fashion Week in August 2019,which was deemed as a turning point in her modelling career where she adapted to western style of modelling. [8] During Oslo Fashion Week 2019, she was acknowledged for her intriguing street style. [9] Rawdah revealed that she faced humiliation and rejections, especially in the fashion industry, whereas clients were hesitant to give her opportunity to feature in Paris Fashion Week citing outrage and backlash from French politicians. [10]

She made her maiden appearance on a magazine cover in August 2019 when she appeared on the cover of Norwegian fashion magazine Costume Norge. Since then, Rawdah has also appeared in front pages of prominent publications and editorials such as Vogue and V Magazine in US as well as Arab editions. [7]

She also notably took part in social media protest against the French Senate's decision to ban Muslim girls under the age of 18 from wearing a headscarf in public places by initiating hashtag campaign #Handsoffmyhijab. [11] [12] She posted her selfie on Instagram with the phrase "hands off my hijab" being written on her hand, criticising the proposed French ban on face covering for minors. [10] [11]

In May 2021, she was officially named as the editor of upcoming magazine Vogue Scandinavia, which is set to be launched soon. [13] She will thus become the first hijab-wearing editor of colour for a fashion magazine. [14]

Controversies

She was mainstream media attention in Norway when she posted a series of negative comments towards Elizabeth II as responses to the news of her death. Mohamed announced that she was celebrating the Queen's death, and followed up with a number of offensive outbursts directed at the Queen, who had just passed away. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hijab</span> Islamic head covering for women

In modern usage, hijab generally refers to various head coverings conventionally worn by many Muslim women. While a hijab can come in many forms, it often specifically refers to a headscarf, wrapped around the head, 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. According to the Harvard University Pluralism Project: "Some Muslim women cover their head only during prayer in the mosque; other Muslim women wear the hijab; still others may cover their head with a turban or a loosely draped scarf."

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niqāb</span> Cloth that covers the face as a part of sartorial hijab

A niqāb or niqaab, also called a ruband, is a garment, usually black, that covers the face but not the eyes, worn by some Muslim women as a part of an interpretation of hijab. Muslim women who wear the niqab do so in places where they may encounter non-mahram (un-related) men. Somewhat controversial in some parts of the world, the niqab is most often worn in its region of origin: the Arab countries of the Arabian Peninsula – Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates, where it is common and considered as culturally belonging to the region, though not compulsory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Headscarf</span> Piece of cloth worn on ones head

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Norway</span> Islam in Norway

Islam is the second largest religion in Norway after Christianity. As of 2023, the number of Muslims living in Norway was 182,607. The majority of Muslims in Norway are Sunni, with a significant Shia minority. 55 percent of Muslims in the country live in Oslo and Viken. The vast majority of Muslims have an immigrant background, and very few Norwegians are Muslim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iselin Steiro</span> Norwegian model

Iselin Vollen Steiro is a Norwegian model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic scarf controversy in France</span> Controversy over wearing of the hijab in France

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic veiling practices by country</span> Muslim head coverings for women as worn in different countries

Various styles of head coverings, most notably the khimar, hijab, chador, niqab, paranja, yashmak, tudong, shayla, safseri, carşaf, haik, dupatta, boshiya and burqa, are worn by Muslim women around the world, where the practice varies from mandatory to optional or restricted in different majority Muslim and non-Muslim countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenza Fourati</span> Tunisian model

Kenza Fourati is a Tunisian model.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bella Hadid</span> American model (born 1996)

Isabella Khairiah Hadid is an American model. Throughout her career, she has made 29 appearances on international Vogue covers. In 2022, she was named Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world on its annual list in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic fashion</span> Fashion in Muslim communities

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halima Aden</span> Somali/American fashion model

Halima Aden is an American fashion model. She is noted for being the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA 2016 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.

Amena Khan is a British fashion designer, and internet celebrity. She is best known for founding the fashion company Pearl Daisy, designing head scarfs, and becoming the first hijab model in a L'Oreal hair-care campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hijabophobia</span> Fear or hatred against Muslim women who wear hijab

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.

Hoda Katebi is an American writer and activist whose work focuses on garment workers' rights, labor in fashion supply chains, Muslim identity, politics and clothing in Iran, and fighting surveillance programs and militarism. She is the founder of Blue Tin Production, the first apparel manufacturing worker co-operative in the United States entirely run by working-class women of color.

Ugbad Abdi is a Somali-American fashion model. Born in Somalia and raised in a Kenyan refugee camp and Des Moines, Iowa, she debuted as a Valentino haute couture model, then opened shows for Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors at New York Fashion Week. She is the first model to walk shows for Fendi and Lanvin while wearing hijab.

Maryam Pougetoux is a French activist and student union leader. Pougetoux is a current Vice-President of Unef, the National Union of Students of France. Pougetoux was previously the president of the UNEF section of the Sorbonne. Pougetoux was raised in the Paris suburbs by her parents, converts to Islam who originated from the Correze department of southwestern France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burqa by country</span> Legal situation of wearing a burqa in different countries

The burqa is worn by women in various countries. Some countries have banned it in government offices, schools, or in public places and streets.

References

  1. "Street Style Star Rawdah Mohamed is the Somali Muslim Model You Need to Follow". V Magazine. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  2. Mohamed, Rawdah (22 April 2021). "Model Rawdah Mohamed On Using Social Media to Challenge France's Proposed Hijab Ban". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  3. "Online criticism grows over French proposal to ban hijab for children". euronews. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  4. Kell, Laura (5 April 2021). "Muslim Content Creators Share Their Own Stories of Islamophobia and Racism". www.harpersbazaararabia.com.
  5. "Login • Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 30 March 2023.{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  6. Newbold, Alice (15 June 2020). ""We Need More Space To Be Open": Somalian Model Rawdah On Speaking Out For Those Who Can't". British Vogue. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Model Rawdah Mohamed looks majestic in Lebanese look". Arab News. 10 November 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  8. Acielle (15 August 2018). "The Best Street Style at Oslo Fashion Week Spring 2019". Vogue. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  9. Borrelli-Persson, Laird (21 March 2019). "How Rawdah Mohamed Is Challenging Modest Style Conventions and Fashion's Inclusivity Problem". Vogue. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Model's 'hands off my hijab' post sparks protest over France's proposed ban". the Guardian. 25 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  11. 1 2 "'Law against Islam': French vote in favour of hijab ban condemned". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  12. Yeung, Peter. "The Somali-Norwegian model campaigning for Muslim women's rights". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  13. "Model behind 'hands off my hijab' post named editor of 'Vogue Scandinavia'". The National. 29 May 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  14. "Model behind 'hands off my hijab' post is named Vogue Scandinavia editor". the Guardian. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  15. Philip Haglund, ed. (9 September 2022). "Raser etter dronningens død: – Håper du brenner i helvete" [Fuming following the death of the Queen: - Hope you burn in hell] (in Norwegian). Nettavisen . Retrieved 11 September 2022.