VOA慢速英语==Hijab Gets More Acceptance from Business

 

The hijab is one of the most recognized symbols of Islamic culture.

The hijab is a head covering for women to wear in public.

Advertisers, technology companies and fashion designers are gaining interest in the hijab. It is becoming more popular among athletes as well.

Recently, Apple announced 12-new emoji characters it plans to make available later this year. One of the characters is of a young woman wearing a hijab.

Reuters reports that major fashion and sporting equipment companies are creating hijabs. Nike said it plans a spring 2018 release of a breathable hijab that women can use while exercising or playing sports.

And hijabs are becoming more common in Western advertising¹ by companies such as H&M and Gap.

Muslims are a big market for business. In 2010, the Pew Research Center estimated a Muslim population of 1.6 billion people.

But the hijab’s growing acceptance has limited meaning.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is a civil rights group for Muslims.

It says Muslim-Americans still face discrimination.

Women wearing hijabs can be at particular risk for abuse and other mistreatment because the head covering identifies them as Muslim.

But the increasing acceptance of the hijab might help change behavior.

Amani al-Khatahbeh is the founder² of the online publication MuslimGirl.com.

She told Reuters that popular brands of clothing are in a good position to produce social good. She said popular brands can help increase understanding of Islam and improve its public image.

But al-Khatahbeh said including Muslims in advertising and product development should not be all about profits.

She said businesses have a responsibility to support more acceptance of Muslims.

“It can easily become exploitative by profiting off the communities that are being targeted right now,” she told Reuters.

Other signs of more acceptance include a Vogue³ Arabia magazine cover. In June, for the first time, the magazine’s cover was a photograph of a model in a hijab.

Somali-American Halima Aden received international attention last year when she wore a hijab and burkini during an American beauty competition. A burkini is swim clothing that covers the entire body, except for the face and hands.

Aden posted a video on her Instagram account.

In the video, she said, “Every little girl deserves to see a role model that’s dressed like her, resembles her, or even has the same characteristics as her.”

Words in This Story

symbol - n. an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality

advertiser - n. a company or person who makes the public aware of something, such as a product, that is being sold, usually for a fee

fashion designer - n. a person who creates clothes in new styles

emoji - n. a small image used to express an idea or emo a small digital image or icon⁴ used to express an idea, emotion, mostly in electronic communicate

exploitative - adj. to use someone or something in a way that helps you unfairly

deserve - v. used to say that someone or something should or should not have or be given something

resemble - v. looks like somebody or something else

1 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

2 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

3 Vogue   

n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的

参考例句：

• Flowery carpets became the vogue.花卉地毯变成了时髦货。
• Short hair came back into vogue about ten years ago.大约十年前短发又开始流行起来了。

4 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。