Visual representation within the media: a descriptive analysis of images in British muslim magazines

Purpose: To fashion an analytic view of representations of Muslim women in British Muslim magazines. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on theories from within the history of Islamic art and data from the current population of Muslims in the United Kingdom, this paper examines the representation of Muslim women. Four images were selected from recent media products and discussed to expose how the magazines have employed their cultural identity to represent Muslim women. Findings: The paper explores the representation of Muslim women within Muslim media in the UK. It explores the extent to which the history of Islamic art has relevance for making sense of recent media representations and outputs. Research limitations/implications: Future research into Muslim images may improve the way Muslims are visually represented in the mass media and help position them as ‘us’ and ‘insider’ rather than ‘them’ and ‘alien’ in a context of multiculturalism. Originality/value: The paper contributes to scholarship by improving understanding of the visual representations of Islam and Muslims in the media.