Using the perception of the hijab in European society, I intend to highlight the role of the media in the construction of stereotypes toward Muslim women in Europe, in the hope of opening a discussion of the topic. By examining Islamic feminism as a lens with which to view the oppression of women in Europe, the reader’s implicit tendency toward an ethnocentric interpretation will hopefully begin to diminish and a clearer picture of the potential entry points for empowerment begin to take shape. The goal of this article is to remove barriers of western feminist ideologies in the effort to better understand the lives of Muslim women in Europe