Sotto il velo
(Beneath the veil) Book not yet available in English
Summary:
Sotto il velo (Beneath the veil) is a comic strip by the young Italian-Tunisian artist Takoua Ben Mohamed, who ironically portrays her everyday life as a young woman who has freely chosen to wear a veil in Italy. [Publisher’s website]
Edited by: Centro MeTRa - Università di Bologna (Italy)
Comment:
Despite being de facto a multicultural country, Italy is still struggling with tensions and conflicts between social groups with different heritage. In this context, the comic strips by Takoua Ben Mohamed, a young Tunisian woman/artist who has been living in Rome since she was a child, express in an amusing yet effective way the point of view of young second-generation Muslim women who decide – by choice – to wear the veil. Obviously, this is a complex and sensitive issue, and there will often be conflicting opinions. However, through illustrations and irony, Takoua Ben Mohamed tries to explain and play it down, offering a fresh and genuine look, one that calls for the respect of what is essentially a personal choice, which may not be shared by everyone, but is still legitimate as (and only when) a form of self-determination.