My first reaction to the music video was, really?! Do we really need representation in music videos? But why was my reaction to Amani being in a music video so different from my feelings about the music of Malaysian singer-songwriter and fellow hijabi Yuna, or even the appearance of Ilhan Omar? Perhaps because Amani has built a brand on her Muslim identity, whereas Yuna’s brand is first and foremost her music, and Ilhan Omar’s her political career; in the same way that footballer Mo Salah probably didn’t set out to achieve Muslim representation in football but became known for his faith as a
...more
