ISLAMOPHOBIA
Muslim Avengers Tackle Maligned Muslim Media Portrayals Do Americans realize that their Islamophobia has roots in the misrepresentation of Muslims in the media? BY SANDRA WHITEHEAD
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any of us were devastated by the news that a Muslim family in Canada, out for an evening walk, were run down in June by a pickup truck driven by a young man motivated by anti-Muslim hate. As they waited to cross the street, a grandmother, father, mother and 15-yearold daughter were killed. The 9-year-old son suffered serious injuries but has survived. Ed Holder, mayor of London, Ontario, where the tragedy took place, called it “an act of mass murder perpetuated against Muslims … rooted in unspeakable hatred.” The tragic news spread fear in Muslim communities across the globe. There is a sense that it could have been any of us, one protester in Canada said to a reporter. Where does the hate come from? One answer is the misrepresentation of Muslims in media, says a group of highly accomplished Muslim media professionals who have joined together to address the issue.
Top left clockwise: Arij Mikati (Photo credit: Elias Rios), Kashif Shaikh (Photo credit: Olawale Sanni), Dr. Stacy Smith (Photo credit: Marcus Yam), Riz Ahmed (photo credit: Sharif Hamza).
“An all-star team of the Muslim Avengers lined up,” said Riz Ahmed in a June 10 online speech about a new project to address Muslim misrepresentation.
Ahmed is the first Muslim nominated as best actor at the Oscars and a leader in the effort to correct Muslim media portrayals. The British Pakistani actor was nominated this year for his lead role in The Sound of Metal for his portrayal of a drummer who loses his hearing. The artist and activist is also known for his performances in the television series The OA and The Night Of, and the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Ahmed and his renowned colleagues, including Mahershala Ali, Sana Amanat, Karim Amer, Rosa Attab, Lena Khan, Nida Manzoor, Hasan Minhaj, Jehane Noujaim and Ramy Youssef, initiated a collaboration with the University of Southern California Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, the Pillars Fund and the Ford Foundation to study media portrayals, create a plan of action for the entertainment industries, and fund a fellowship for Muslim filmmakers.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 55
