Revolution and the Hijab in the Political Satire of Noor Khanom

Resumé

This article examines the intersections of gender, satire, and political resistance through a case study of Noor Khanom, a satirical Syrian television show that aired on Syria TV between 2018 and 2021. Hosted by journalist Noor Haddad, the program challenges dominant narratives surrounding the hijab, female agency, and public visibility in the context of Syria’s revolution and its ongoing transitional period. Drawing on intersectionality, postcolonial feminism, and feminist media theory, the study analyzes how Noor Khanom deploys satire to critique both authoritarian power and patriarchal norms. Through ironic reappropriations of domestic imagery and visual parody, the show reclaims the figure of the woman as an active political subject. Noor Haddad’s evolving public persona is also central, for instance her choice of taking off her hijab, which sparked public debate and revealed the contested boundaries of religious expression, morality, and feminist agency. By analyzing selected episodes and audience reactions, this article argues that Noor Khanom turns satire into a form of feminist resistance, offering a critical space for reimagining gender roles and political participation amid the shifting realities of post-2011 Syria.