A new proposal for seeing whether a TV or film project presents Muslim characters in dynamic, nuanced and intersectional stories and contexts.
There are about 1.8 billion Muslims globally, and Muslim identity and appearance are incredibly diverse.
It is lackadaisical how Hollywood was able to create a “Muslim look” that is Arab and South Asian, and often times with actors outside of those communities. Black people make up the largest group of Muslims in the U.S., comprising 20 percent of U.S. Muslims. And the Latinx community is the fastest-growing Muslim community in the U.S. But we rarely see these portrayals. Expanding storylines that include Muslim characters really requires reflecting the diversity of Muslim communities.
The shift away from stereotypical stories and characters is slowly happening. True improvement will require new stories, new themes, new ideas and new characters in new contexts.
We are inspired by the Bechdel Test that evaluates representations of women; the DuVernay Test on racial representations; the Russo Test on LGBTQIA+ representations; and the Riz Test on Muslim representations. These tests offer templates of how to evaluate stories that are trying to avoid stereotypes and to create characters not solely defined by their racial, gender, sexual or religious identity; but rather who are cast in more leading roles with fully realized lives.
Given the promising current expansion in portrayals and the vast pool of talented Muslim screenwriters in the industry, we are building on these criteria to raise the bar further.
To that end, we propose the Obeidi-Alsultany Test, which uses the below five criteria to evaluate whether a TV or film project presents Muslim characters in dynamic, nuanced, and intersectional stories and contexts.
The Obeidi-Alsultany Test
1.
The project that includes a Muslim character(s) does not reproduce or reinvent old tropes but rather explores new stories and contexts.
2.
The project that includes Muslim character(s) has a Muslim-identifying writer on staff to ensure that Muslim cultures, religion, characters and storylines are being portrayed accurately and authentically.
3.
The Muslim character(s) is not solely defined by their religion. Religion can be part of the character’s backstory but should not be their entire story. Muslim culture and faith should be accurately delineated.
4.
The Muslim character(s) has a strong presence and the character(s) is essential to the story arc and has a rich and clearly defined backstory.
5.
The Muslim character(s) is portrayed with diverse backgrounds and identities.
Sue Obeidi is the director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s (MPAC) Hollywood Bureau. Evelyn Alsultany is an associate professor at the University of Southern California’s Dornsife College and scholar of representations of Muslims in the U.S. media.