A new trend on the video platform TikTok is meant to make the headscarf attractive to girls in Germany and Austria. For this, young women are “restyled” with a hijab in a pedestrian zone. The videos are very popular in radical Muslim circles.
Currently, videos titled “Hijab Transformation” are storming the TikTok charts and are being seen and shared by hundreds of thousands – but the message is questionable. The short clips, which at least at first glance appear to be advertisements for a Frankfurt-based dealer in hijabs, are also being circulated eagerly in radical Muslim circles.
They always follow the same pattern: a friendly voice approaches young, usually lightly dressed women on the street and asks if they would like to try out a headscarf. And then the ” hijab transformation” starts in the style of a before-and-after styling show. Afterwards, the young women look at the result in the mirror with great enthusiasm. Not only their hair is covered, but also their shoulders and décolleté. They are assured how well the hijab would look on them. And in the comments, hundreds of male users confirm how “much prettier” the girls look after the transformation.
The clips are shared thousands of times and have even conquered the TikTok charts. But this content is also spread by supporters of political Islam, along with the message that the young women are now much more attractive to men: “Wallah so pretty”, the comments echo in many languages.
It is doubtful that the videos are all authentic. Rather, the scenes seem staged, which is not unusual on TikTok. The problem is that the platform is particularly popular with children and young people who have not yet acquired sufficient media competence to be able to judge content for its authenticity.
Like no other religious community in the German-speaking world, Islam has understood how to recruit followers on TikTok. In addition to completely innocuous videos that simply educate people about the Muslim faith, more radical content can also be found there time and again – but they are presented in a way that appeals to young people. For example, teenagers tell how they have found a supposedly better life thanks to the Koran. Videos often pop up in the charts that address the issue of forced marriage – and do so favourably.
Many parents are not familiar with TikTok and do not know exactly what content their children watch there. As a rule, “trending videos” with many positive reactions are recommended, including the “Hijab Transformation” clips. In plain language, this means that the children come into contact with the content by chance.
Last year, TikTok was the most downloaded app worldwide. It is believed to have more than one billion users worldwide.
https://exxpress.at/hijab-transformation-neuer-tiktok-trend-wirbt-maedchen-fuer-verschleierung/