‘Playboy’ Makes History: Noor Tagouri Poses Wearing A Hijab — Offensive Or Praiseworthy?

Muslim journalist Noor Tagouri makes Playboy history as the first woman to pose for the men’s magazine wearing a hijab. The bold move has sparked controversy among many. While some see the photos as a praiseworthy move of activism, others claim Tagouri is mocking modesty and offending women by appearing in the magazine with a hijab.

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Playboy magazine will feature a woman wearing a hijab for the first time in the magazine’s 63-year history. Noor is appearing in the magazine’s “Renegades ” series.

“The men and women in this series will change how you think about business, music, porn, comedy, gaming and more.”

Noor Tagouri is a 22-year-old journalist who works as an on-air reporter for Newsy. The men’s magazine cites that the young journalist makes a surprising bold case for modesty.

“As a badass activist with a passion for demanding change and asking the right questions, accompanied by beauty-ad-campaign looks, Tagouri forces us to ask ourselves why we have such a hard time wrapping our minds around a young woman who consciously covers her head and won’t take no for an answer.”

Tagouri is a first-generation Libyan American. She has a devoted fanbase on YouTube and has more than 150,000 followers on Instagram.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vGQzNrcB_Q

Tagouri also gave her first TedX Talk last year on identity and rebellion.

Noor Tagouri has a clear goal in mind for her future: To become America’s first hijabi news anchor on television.

“I believe in rebellion as a form of honestly. To be our most authentic self is to rebellious.”

People have attacked Noor for her appearance in Playboy, claiming that the photos were mocking Muslims and were disrespectful to women. However, the journalist refuses to listen to her haters.

“It’s just negative energy and unhealthy.”

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Tagouri mentioned in her interview with Playboy that her being Muslim has actually helped her as a journalist to gain the trust of other Muslims.

“I know what it’s like to have the narrative of our community be skewed and exploited in the media.

“Hey, I know what it’s like to be misrepresented in the media. I won’t do that to you. I want to tell your story because it’s important and deserves justice.”

Noor Tagouri’s appearance in Playboy marks a significant change of direction for the men’s magazine, which formally only featured nude women on the cover.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJihqSXAUoQ/?taken-by=playboy&hl=en

Last year, Playboy publicly announced that nude photographs would no longer be a part of the brand. Since then, the magazine has successfully filled its pages with intriguing and informational journalism.

Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner previously stated that he opposed “religiously mandated, chastity-centered codes of sexual morality” in his 1966 debate with William Buckley.

According to the Washington Post, Hugh Hefner actually opposed any limit on public sexual expression, as he considered it to be fundamentally antithetical to freedom itself.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BI-a917A3sw/?taken-by=playboy&hl=en

Now, 50 years later, Playboy is changing things up. By featuring a Muslim woman on the cover of the notoriously sexy magazine, Playboy is able to stay relevant on a now-prevalent trend among American Muslims to appear “normal” among members of society.

“Muslim women especially feel the burden to appear normal. … With all the negative assumptions they face about their religion, they must actively assert their lack of oppression, rather than simply living it out in their daily lives.”

However, the controversial photoshoot and interview has caused many to be outraged, saying it mocks the very ethics and morals the hijab is religiously intended to reflect.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKwPlajjphn/?taken-by=ntagouri&hl=en

The hijab is a religious symbol of chastity and a spiritual connection to God.

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Noor Tagouri’s appearance in a magazine known for undressing and objectifying women is offensive to some, but others praise her for her courage to ignite change.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BK3DeBLgMQB/?taken-by=ntagouri&hl=en

What do you think? Is Noor Tagouri’s Playboy appearance offensive? Or is it a great opportunity for a Muslim woman to get some visibility? Comment below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62PA2B1oFgw

[Featured Image by Central Press/Stringer/Getty Images]