In Arabic, Iman means faith. More specifically, Iman means faith in Islam. Iman—the supermodel—has a first name that many religious Muslims (specifically Somalis) feel does not suit her. I think this is ironic considering the fact that Iman has spoken at length about her spirituality (albeit in general, non-exclusionary terms).
The reasons for this:
- Iman challenges the idea of what it means to be a devout Muslim woman
- Iman challenges the idea of what it means to be a Somali woman
- Iman lives her life in the public eye but does so in a way that indicates that she doesn’t care who is watching her
Muslim men who are similarly non-dogmatic/non-practicing—Muslim men like Shahrukh Khan, One Direction’s Zayn Malik, and Somali rapper/singer K’naan—do not get scrutinized in the same way. No one expects them to embody the stereotype of what Muslim men are romanticized to be like. No one looks at their so-called haram (sinful), non-conforming behavior and criticizes them. In fact, in (rare) moments when they are criticized, their critics (usually Muslim women) are abruptly silenced with a predictable chorus of “boys will be boys” and “it’s okay for them because they’re men” non-arguments. Young girls internalize these non-arguments and use them against themselves.
It’s been four years since I admitted to myself that I’m not a person of faith—a person with Iman—and yet I still have to deal with the anxieties of Muslim girlhood. Those anxieties didn’t go away overnight— they’ve just manifested in different ways. I used to care about what God thinks but when I looked behind the curtain I found out that God was never there—men were. Iman is my feminist icon because she lives her life like she is not subject to the male gaze. She is an example of a woman of faith who lives for God— not men. I think that is important.
I declare today National Iman Abdulmajid Day.
