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Muslim Teenager Proposes Emoji of Woman Wearing a Head Scarf Muslim Teenager Proposes Emoji of Woman Wearing a Head Scarf
(about 17 hours later)
BERLIN — The choice of princess, bride or dancer did not really allow Rayouf Alhumedhi to express herself in a chat room she was creating. As a Muslim teenager in Germany who wears a head scarf, she was disappointed by the standard emoji options on her smartphone keyboard.BERLIN — The choice of princess, bride or dancer did not really allow Rayouf Alhumedhi to express herself in a chat room she was creating. As a Muslim teenager in Germany who wears a head scarf, she was disappointed by the standard emoji options on her smartphone keyboard.
Why, she wondered, couldn’t there be a symbol of a woman in a head scarf, or hijab, like the one she wears?Why, she wondered, couldn’t there be a symbol of a woman in a head scarf, or hijab, like the one she wears?
She wrote to Apple, but received no response. Some online research led her to an article about how to suggest a new emoji, so she drew up a proposal and emailed it to the Unicode Consortium, which oversees standards for the symbols on keyboards. Her appeal caught the eye of Jennifer 8. Lee, a former New York Times reporter, who became a co-author of the proposal. She suggested that Ms. Alhumedhi include a brief history of the hijab and add research to show its importance.She wrote to Apple, but received no response. Some online research led her to an article about how to suggest a new emoji, so she drew up a proposal and emailed it to the Unicode Consortium, which oversees standards for the symbols on keyboards. Her appeal caught the eye of Jennifer 8. Lee, a former New York Times reporter, who became a co-author of the proposal. She suggested that Ms. Alhumedhi include a brief history of the hijab and add research to show its importance.
“In the age of digitalization, pictures prove to be a crucial element in communication,” the proposal says. “Roughly 550 million Muslim women on this earth pride themselves on wearing the hijab. With this enormous number of people, not a single space on the keyboard is reserved for them.”“In the age of digitalization, pictures prove to be a crucial element in communication,” the proposal says. “Roughly 550 million Muslim women on this earth pride themselves on wearing the hijab. With this enormous number of people, not a single space on the keyboard is reserved for them.”
Women are increasingly calling for better representation on their smartphone keyboards, which they say do not allow them to represent themselves sufficiently in what has become an essential element of daily dialogue for many people in the modern world. Four women who work at Google have also proposed expanding female emojis to reflect some of the professions in which women engage — business, education, farming and technology. Women are increasingly calling for better representation on their smartphone keyboards, which they say do not allow them to represent themselves sufficiently in what has become an essential element of daily dialogue for many people in the modern world. Four women who work at Google have also proposed expanding female emojis to reflect some of the professions in which women engage — business, education, farming and technology, for example.
Ms. Alhumedhi, who was born in Saudi Arabia and now lives and attends high school in Berlin, began wearing a head scarf at 13. Although she has never been harassed for covering her hair, she has seen people give her some hard stares. All the more reason, she figured, to try to have it included on her keyboard.Ms. Alhumedhi, who was born in Saudi Arabia and now lives and attends high school in Berlin, began wearing a head scarf at 13. Although she has never been harassed for covering her hair, she has seen people give her some hard stares. All the more reason, she figured, to try to have it included on her keyboard.
“We need to be represented with the amount of diversity, the amount of difference in this world,” she said.“We need to be represented with the amount of diversity, the amount of difference in this world,” she said.
In an online discussion on Reddit on Tuesday, she answered questions about what the hijab meant to her and responded to critics who argued that it represented the oppression of women.In an online discussion on Reddit on Tuesday, she answered questions about what the hijab meant to her and responded to critics who argued that it represented the oppression of women.
“I would like to be represented and acknowledged,” she wrote. “It might seem baffling, but when I wear the head scarf I actually feel liberated because I’m in control of what I want to cover. The head scarf allows for people to see past a woman’s beauty and see her for her knowledge.”“I would like to be represented and acknowledged,” she wrote. “It might seem baffling, but when I wear the head scarf I actually feel liberated because I’m in control of what I want to cover. The head scarf allows for people to see past a woman’s beauty and see her for her knowledge.”
A continuing debate in Europe over Muslim women’s covering themselves escalated this summer, especially in France, where beach towns on the Riviera sought to ban full-body swimwear known as the burkini. Many of the bans were later overturned.A continuing debate in Europe over Muslim women’s covering themselves escalated this summer, especially in France, where beach towns on the Riviera sought to ban full-body swimwear known as the burkini. Many of the bans were later overturned.
More than 1,000 women who responded to a New York Times call for their perspective described their lives as visibly Muslim women in France and Belgium as “a struggle.” More than 1,000 women responded recently to a New York Times call for their perspective. Many described their lives as visibly Muslim women in France and Belgium as a struggle.
In Germany last month, members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative governing coalition called for restrictions on face veils in schools and universities and while driving. The country’s constitutional court last year struck down a decade-old law that prevented Muslim teachers from wearing head scarves in public schools, saying it violated the teachers’ religious freedom. Still, regulations preventing women from covering their faces with veils still exist.In Germany last month, members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative governing coalition called for restrictions on face veils in schools and universities and while driving. The country’s constitutional court last year struck down a decade-old law that prevented Muslim teachers from wearing head scarves in public schools, saying it violated the teachers’ religious freedom. Still, regulations preventing women from covering their faces with veils still exist.
Many Muslim women who were among the one million migrants who arrived in Germany in the past year wear head scarves, and they have reported being sworn at and spit on while waiting for a bus or sitting on a park bench.Many Muslim women who were among the one million migrants who arrived in Germany in the past year wear head scarves, and they have reported being sworn at and spit on while waiting for a bus or sitting on a park bench.
Ms. Alhumedhi is flying to the Bay Area in California to present her proposal, which includes an option for an emoji for Muslim men who wear a kaffiyeh, to Unicode’s full technical committee in November. If approved, it will become a “candidate emoji” for acceptance into Unicode 10, to be announced in June 2017, and would be adopted that fall. Ms. Alhumedhi is flying to the Bay Area in California to present a final version of her proposal to Unicode’s full technical committee in November. Ms. Lee said they had decided to drop an option for an emoji for Muslim men who wear a kaffiyeh, because the matter is much more complicated. If the female design is approved, it will become a “candidate emoji” for acceptance into Unicode 10, to be announced in June 2017, and would be adopted that fall.
One prominent supporter of Ms. Alhumedhi’s idea is Alexis Ohanian, a founder of Reddit, who said he viewed her proposal as part of a continuing effort to make technology more inclusive of women and other groups that feel marginalized.One prominent supporter of Ms. Alhumedhi’s idea is Alexis Ohanian, a founder of Reddit, who said he viewed her proposal as part of a continuing effort to make technology more inclusive of women and other groups that feel marginalized.
“Emoji may not seem like a big deal, but it’s one more way for a lot of people to feel acknowledged and represented — and that is a good thing,” he said.“Emoji may not seem like a big deal, but it’s one more way for a lot of people to feel acknowledged and represented — and that is a good thing,” he said.