It is dangerous to have a single version of femininity, and it is impossible to have a universal definition of empowerment for women. The U.S. media disregards this by its often narrow, Western-based depiction of female empowerment. The negative depictions of Middle Eastern citizens in the news result in a general rise in Islamophobia; many of the “hate attacks” have targeted women, who are more easily identifiable as Muslim if they chose to wear a hijab or the niqab. Recently, Middle Eastern activists have used comic strips to protest stereotypes while identifying with a critical eye the challenges that women face in their individual countries.
