Wearing the Veil in the Web: Transformations of Social Norms and Everyday Practices in the Digital Sphere Within the MENA Region

This study examines how veiling practices, such as the hijab, are transformed in the digital age through the interplay of laws, social norms, everyday practices, and digital technologies. Using the semiotics of culture and Lotman’s theory, it explores how digital spaces act as semiotic continuums where traditional symbols of modesty and religious identity are reinterpreted, creating hybrid cultural identities. These transformations challenge established norms, influence legal frameworks, and reveal cultural translation processes. The analysis of digital representations of veiling in the MENA region aims to shed light on how such practices evolve and adapt across semiotic and cultural boundaries.