Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, with approximately 1.8 billion believers worldwide. Its international impact has been exponential for generations, with an introduction to the Western world made as early on as the Silk Road. Notably, Muslim polymath Ibn Sina (or Avicenna)'s work was used in Western curricula for over 600 years after his death.
American history also shows the massive integration of Islam into the West that occurred during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, when thousands of Muslim Africans were brought to Europe and the Americas. It is therefore safe to say that Muslims have been woven into the fabric of Western culture for generations.
But in the aftermath of 9/11, this couldn't seem less true.
For the majority of the 21st century, Muslims have instead been treated by the Western media as outsiders, misrepresented by offensive stereotypes in the media that reduce over 1.8 billion people to the actions of select extremists. Hijabs are deemed as threatening and unacceptable by EU regulators and schools across France, hate crimes against Muslims rose across the 2010s, and our beliefs about women's rights are shrouded in mystification. But what does this mean for the self-image of millions of Muslims worldwide?
In our current state of constant media exposure, children especially are influenced by popular film and television. The harmful instances of misrepresentation perpetuated in Western media make it difficult for the Muslim youth -- especially first-generation children -- to identify with their religious identities and maintain pride in their faith.
In my family, we use the term “ABCD” (American-born confused deshi) to refer to children in the US who are disconnected to their Bangladeshi culture and intentionally act in ways that Muslims are taught not to in regards to social activity, relationships, or even substance use. Growing up, I often wondered how easy it might have been for me to turn out this way had I not had the guidance of a pious mother who spoke to me about the who, what, and why behind our lifestyle guidelines.
It certainly wouldn't have been hard to lose my identity, seeing as I was exposed to a complete lack of representation. A study published by the Pillars fund found that though Muslims make up 25% of the world's population, only 1.1% of characters on television are Muslim. Out of over 8,500 speaking roles studied, fewer than 2% were Muslim. The resulting identity dysphoria is the experience of many.
As aforementioned, there are violent repercussions to the misrepresentation of Muslims as well. After the 2021 murder of a Muslim family in Ontario, Canada, media coverage began to explore the ever-present danger of Islamophobia for Muslims in the West. Academy-award nominated actor Riz Ahmed stated at the time, “… this is the result of dehumanizing and demonizing portrayals … people don't just wake up hating Muslims. They believe a story.”
An important example of this is the 7/16 attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka.
At nine years old, I was faced with not only the overwhelming confusion at why something like this would happen, but the double consciousness that developed as soon as I heard that “Muslims'' were behind the attack. These were people claiming they had murdered 29 people in the name of my religion; I knew this was not what Islam is, but non-Muslims certainly didn't. For the first time, I began to worry about what this meant for the greater majority of peaceful Muslims worldwide who were already discriminated against.
What does it do to a nine-year-old girl to see herself represented for the first time on breaking news headlines instead of the Disney channel, or Cartoon Network?
It is fortunate that the past few years have shown the state of Muslim representation slowly on the mend. With media like Marvel comics' Ms Marvel, Netflix's Mo, and Peacock's We Are Lady Parts allowing Muslims to act as nuanced main characters leading their own stories, the future does look brighter for the next generation. But it is essential that we continue to advocate for this progression.
We must continue to raise awareness about Islam's rich intercultural history, the dangers of misrepresentation, and the power of speaking our truth on the big screen. It is through having our stories shared that we can focus on our common brotherhood and fight for a clearer understanding of one another, in spite of all disparity.
Deya Nurani is a high school student based in the US.
