ABSTRACT
The fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first hijab-clad, Muslim American woman to win an Olympic medal, has moved from that experience—for which The Guardian (Carpenter, 2016) called her “one of the best symbols against intolerance,” to most impressive activism. In addition to serving on the U.S. Department of State’s Empowering Women and Girls through Sport Initiative; writing an autobiography about her difficulties as a female Muslim athlete (Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream, 2018) as well as another for young readers, about bullying (The Proudest Blue); promoted the hijabi Barbie doll that was made in her image, she has co-started Louella, a trailblazing clothing line emphasizing modesty and comfort. This chapter starts with a history of clothing as protest, outlines a theoretical approach of gendered critical discourse analysis (GCDA), considers clothing and culture, religion, sport per se, and the economics surrounding the topic before introducing Ibtihaj Muhammad’s story as a case study.
