Public attitudes towards hijab-wearing in Australia : uncovering the bases of tolerance

![CDATA[Political debate regarding hijab has reached a nadir in recent times in Europe (Jones 2003; Nair 2003; Power et al. 2003). These politics have been inflamed by calls for institutional secularism, which proscribes overt religious identification (especially Islamic performance) in the public realm. This "inconsistent secularism" (see Modood 2000:188-90) has been associated with a potent cocktail of xenophobia and Islamaphobia, bifurcating public opinion and enhancing stereotypes. Hijab has become seen by critics as emblematic of "non-integration", a performance of "non- conforming nationalism". This critique of hijab is a statement that hijab wearers are not correctly performing their gendered nationalism. As I review below, the hijab has been shown to have multiple and contested meanings across academia and Muslim communities. Indeed, most research to date on hijab looks at the views of political commentators, academics and hijab-wearers, and not everyday public attitudes. However, this thoroughly gendered performance has become a key terrain of public debates about nationalism. This analysis takes a unique look at ordinary people's opinions on hijab.]]