Us/Them - Phase I (75 images)

This is the first part of a new project called 'Us/Them' about the veil and muslim women in Belgium.

The 'veil' has become a very contested and loaded symbol in Belgium.
Discussions are near impossible and very polarized.
Too often the story remains 'Us versus Them' with communities that don't know each other and hardly interact.
The negative and often one-sided image in the media doesn't help and feeds the prejudice that already exists within Belgian...
more »

This is the first part of a new project called 'Us/Them' about the veil and muslim women in Belgium.

The 'veil' has become a very contested and loaded symbol in Belgium.
Discussions are near impossible and very polarized.
Too often the story remains 'Us versus Them' with communities that don't know each other and hardly interact.
The negative and often one-sided image in the media doesn't help and feeds the prejudice that already exists within Belgian society.

Since 2009, community schools all over the country banned all religious symbols in their schools, including the headscarf.
Since 2011, Belgium has a burqa banning law.
A woman wearing a full face covering veil can be jailed up to 7 days or get a fine of 137,5€.

Yet the veil seems to be omnipresent and not linked exclusively to Muslim women at all.
On posters or as graffiti in the city, in churches and museums, at thrift stores and in fashion magazines, …
This small collection of images shows the veil and head coverings in many variations.
« less