In what sense are these two conceptions of the Muslim woman contradictory?

[mayassa_takrouni]

According to Zine, Muslim women are perceived through two contradictory perspectives, which she describes as a paradox. On one hand, they are seen as victims who must be saved at all costs. This view portrays them as oppressed by religious and cultural traditions, requiring external intervention to liberate them, often in the name of liberal democracy, modernity, and women's autonomy. In other words, the West is seen as needing to come to the aid of Muslim women to free them from a culture and religion deemed oppressive.
On the other hand, veiled women are also viewed as "cultural renegades" threatening national identity and social cohesion (Zine, 150). According to Zine, Muslim women, particularly those who wear the veil, are seen as elements that cannot fully integrate into the nation due to their refusal to conform to Western norms. They are thus perceived as disruptive elements that endanger the cultural and social homogeneity of the country.

It is important to highlight that this paradox is fueled by neo-colonial prejudices and exclusionary policies that construct these opposing views. While the West claims to defend individual rights and autonomy, thus saving Muslim women from "patriarchal religious authorities enforcing the practice of veiling", it is, in reality, trying to assimilate and take control over women they deemed as "politically immature" (Zine, 150), reflecting a fundamental hypocrisy in Western attitudes toward Muslim women, where the purported protection of their rights often translates into exclusionary and oppressing measures.

An example of this paradox can be the case of Aqsa Parvez, a Canadian-Pakistani teen who was killed by her father in December 2007 in what was widely described as an "honour killing". To begin with, framing Aqsa's death as an "honour killing" aligns with the view of Muslim women as victims needing rescue. The media's focus on her alleged refusal to wear the hijab and the portrayal of her death as a direct consequence of her cultural and religious background reinforces the notion that Muslim women need Western intervention to be freed from oppressive cultural practices.
Conversely, Aqsa’s death also reflects the second perspective: Muslim women as cultural renegades. The emphasis on her wearing — or not wearing — the hijab, along with the depiction of her cultural and religious background as inherently problematic, supports the idea that Muslim women are fundamentally at odds with Western norms and values. By framing her death as a result of cultural pathology rather than domestic violence, the narrative positions Muslim cultural practices as threatening to national cohesion and identity. This view contributes to the perception of Muslim women as disruptive to the social and cultural homogeneity of Western societies.

In my opinion, Western approaches often undermine the autonomy and agency of Muslim women, disregarding their voices and perspectives in favor of a one-size-fits-all narrative. Therefore, I would argue that it is not Muslim women who need to be saved by the West, but rather that they need saving from the West.