Is French Montana ‘sexualising’ the hijab or ‘liberating’ it?

American rapper French Montana’s latest album cover featuring a queue of faceless niqabi women crossing their legs in red latex thigh-high boots has caused outrage amongst Muslim women.

Seen sitting between the veiled women, French Montana – whose real name is Karim Kharbouch – is accused of sexualising Muslim women by diluting the significance of the niqab and presenting women as sexual objects.

The rapper has hit back, saying the artwork for his album is “connecting with his roots” and “freeing Muslim women,” posted the image on Twitter.

You don’t have to change who you are
You can bring people into your own world pic.twitter.com/65SZfP5lSQ

— French Montana (@FrencHMonTanA) September 23, 2019

Prominent professors such as Khaled Beydoun and Veena Dubal also took to the social media platform to express their disappointment at the possibility of the 34-year-old celebrity of Moroccan origins, capitalising on damaging portrayals of Muslim women and failing to “honour his roots”.

https://twitter.com/EducateWrite/status/1177296198111285248

Uhhhh not sure French Montana is “honoring” his roots so much as he is selling them. Also they’re not “his” “roots”—they’re women’s bodies.

French Montana Honors His Muslim Roots On New Album Cover | Power 105.1 FM https://t.co/zry2UhM6gy

— Veena Dubal (@veenadubal) September 26, 2019

https://twitter.com/lil_asiangirl/status/1176938507287375872

Classing the image as “Islamophobic”, Beydoun said the image “capitalizes on damaging portrayals of Muslim women as faceless showpieces. The women are objectified, and serve the function of providing a provocative backdrop instead of being presented as real, autonomous human beings.”

READ: Egypt proposes bill to ban Niqab in public places

https://www.instagram.com/p/B21yPmHgR0M/

Some focused on his Moroccan heritage, questioning how he can be disrespectful about the religion the country he was born and brought up in practices.

Big contradiction you say "you don't need to change who you are"
but in the photo, you change the hijab, jilbab, Niqaaab, into a fashion, Glamour and Sex symbol,

when it's a symbol of, Monotheism (Tawheed) Worship, Modesty and Religion

— STREETORDEEN.COM (@streetordeen) September 25, 2019

https://twitter.com/ScooterSamara/status/1176933701063782401

french montana really tried to sexualize niqabi and hijabi women for his own benefit and is now mad we ain’t praising him for it?

— ✧ (@PRODIGYOON) September 25, 2019

The controversial album cover also prompted Twitter users to point out that women who wear  the niqab (face veil) are already a minority within the West and heavily stigmatised, saying a cover like this doesn’t help them be included in society.

So french Montana released a song with hijabis/niqabis sexualizing them completely. Coming from a man who claims being muslim how is that right. We go through enough choosing to cover, and now having a video with a niqabi wearing thigh high latex red boots isnt the image.

— monnie (@baldiegram) September 24, 2019

As a #muslimwoman I do not need to be objectified in order to be seen and #represented this is an insult to what my hijab stands for. #FrenchMontana https://t.co/81pAtvkCWh

— Rahma Rodaah (@RahmaRodaah) September 25, 2019

https://twitter.com/evaaforevaa/status/1176587367647522816

https://twitter.com/NiqabThe/status/1176624383915257856

Others, however, disagreed, arguing that the niqab isn’t a religious symbol but rather a cultural practice which Montana is celebrating and normalising with his art.

https://twitter.com/drunkfallz/status/1176803458822762496

https://twitter.com/Aisha_I_/status/1177837855890169857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1177837855890169857&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcolumbiachronicle.com%2Fopinion-french-montana-overly-sexualizes-muslim-women-for-his-own-gain

French Montana emigrated to the US from Rabat, Morocco, at the age of 13 and has since become one of the biggest names in hip-hop. He has always been vocal about his Moroccan roots and Muslim upbringing, making it a focal point of his public image.

He has also become the first ambassador for the “I stand with Immigrants” campaign, which aims to encourage US citizens to “celebrate the monumental contributions that immigrants have made and continue to make every day.

His latest album, simply titled “MONTANA”, is expected to be released on 8 November.