ABSTRACT
This chapter surveys how some assumptions have framed veiled Muslim women in Australia's mainstream media, with the recurrence of certain motifs and narratives tied to burgeoning unease around Islam's compatibility with Australian values. The treatment of veiled Muslim women in Australia sits within a wider story about how Islam has been depicted over last few decades in predominantly non-Muslim nations, in particular: the UK, the USA, Australia and parts of Western Europe. In Australia, calls for a 'burqa ban' have featured most prominently on news and current affairs programmes on commercial television, especially Today Tonight, Sunday Night and A Current Affair. The 'Faith Fashion Fusion' exhibition in 2013, a showcase of Muslim women's style in Australia, was the first time a major cultural venue both spotlighted practices of veiling and gave a voice to veiled Australian women. Australia's hijabi bloggers represent the cultural creativity that is required in the postmillennial digital economy.
