Book Reviews 121 

Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil: 

Challenging Historical and Modern Stereotypes 

Katherine Bullock 

London: IIIT, 2002. 320 pages. 

Much has been written about Muslim women, dress, hijabs, veils, and, 
more recently, burqas. Bullock's book, based on her doctoral work with 16 

Muslim women in Canada, critically examines the western media's repre­
sentations and perceptions of the veil. What perhaps marks this book as dif­

ferent from many others focusing on the "ubiquitous veil" is not just that 









Book Reviews 125 

book therefore, represents the growing but emergent voice of confident 
Muslim women writers and academics situated within "the West" reclaim­

ing an academic and literary territory that was previously dominated and 
defined by those from the "Outside." 

In my opinion, the author did not go far enough in further exploring 

western academic or anthropological discourses on the veil and Muslim 

women. The challenge to Mernissi' s legacy was a fine example of a detailed 

theoretical critique that could - and should - be extended to a serious criti­
cal examination of how academics have contributed toward an essentialized 

and reductionist discourse when relating to Muslim women. Such a dis­

course usually focuses on facets of western interest rather than on seeking to 

expand upon areas that Muslim women define as significant. Furthermore, 
Shahnaz Khan's interesting and relevant work on Muslim women in Canada 

and identities would have complemented Bullock's study, while some dis­

cussion of the contributions made by Muslim women writers from Europe 

( e.g., Rana Kabani or Anne-Sofie Roald), who have launched staunch argu­
ments against western feminist imperialist interpretations being imposed 

onto the lives of Muslim women, would have balanced the book's tendency 

to seek comparisons with women in the Middle East. 
Having said that, this is a valuable, accessible, and timely contribution 

to the populist and academic literature opening up space for alternative dis­

courses on the veil. It is certainly recommended reading to those in the fields 
oflslam, gender relations, anthropology and sociology, and the diaspora and 
identity. Journalists in particular will find this an engaging and thought­

provoking book. 

Fauzia Ahmad 
Department of Sociology 

University of Bri.stol, Bristol, UK