The “Muslim World” is looked at something that is separate from the “normal” realm of human existence. As if it’s the religion in itself that makes the people so different from the “ordinary” people of the world.
The question of “saving” Mulsim women doesn’t seem too far stretched if you consider the western idea of how Islam as a religion is oppressive and so women are double oppressed for they have to face patriarchy as well. This can be termed an intersectionality by most. What people often fail to recognise is that some women take pride in their culture and use it as an essential identifier. The hijab and the burkha that are considered oppressive and orthodox are often a choice of clothing preferred by the women because of their own personal beliefs.
A narrative, however, has been formed and there is more regard for it than for the truth. This narrative is that of the oppressed, suppressed Muslim woman, that needs saving from her culture and the men in her world. For local politics as well as international coverage, Muslim women are presented as a site for discussion, and as helpless victims that need saving.
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