Images and status: Visualizing Iraqi women

Images of the destruction of Iraq's culture and society continue to arrive via television and the Internet. They announce a fatal crisis, particularly in view of the new rhetoric of occupation, sectarianism, insecurity, and instability. Yet various scenarios all advocating a new, improved, liberated, and democratized Iraq have been continuously disseminated as a sign of a successful mission by Western media and as preached and perhaps believed by the U.S. government. In place of authentic Iraqi texts and voices, the media bombard us with images of the "new Iraq." At this critical juncture in history, as 2007 reveals an Iraq facing political disarray and civil war, we would do well to heed W. J. T. Mitchell's warning of the fallibility of pictures.¹ Perhaps an appropriate question to ask would be, What kind of [visual] objects does the new empire produce, depend on, and desire? Given the West's historical obsession with gender issues in Middle Eastern societies, it is no surprise that Iraqi women and their "image" have taken center stage in contemporary rhetorical battles. Seen by all as signifiers of cultural progress, Muslim women and their changing roles are often challenged and contested by their countries of origin and the West alike. They are "women of cover." The manner in which they appear and dress in public is seen by the West as problematic and a sure sign of oppression.² Their representation in Western media has been conditioned from the beginning by preconceived political ideologies and is disputed and resented by the women themselves. The case becomes further complicated when considering women artists and their roles in forming culture. While little is known about contemporary Middle Eastern art in general, even less is known about the importance of women in the region's visual arts. The roles these women play in the field of visual arts are conspicuously absent from Middle Eastern studies and from gender studies as well. This chapter analyzes and compares various representai tions of Iraqi women resulting from rhetorical objectives aimed at shaping the "ideal Iraqi woman." It also discusses the changing roles and shifting status of Iraqi women artists, especially as they challenge these stereotypes.