The Misrepresentation of Muslim Women in the Media
Every time I hear of a show or movie that has a Muslim woman in it, I prepare myself to be disappointed. Rarely do we see Muslim women or Muslims in general represented on screen in American media, and when we do, that representation is almost always inaccurate. On screen Muslim characters are riddled with stereotypes that diminish and dehumanize them, and whether intentional or not these flawed representations have significant consequences. The Muslim woman, according to American and, more broadly, western media, is defined as a victim of oppression. The source of that oppression is usually her counterpart, the Muslim man, who uses Islam to justify his restriction of and control over her behavior. She is limited and in need of liberation, which can only be provided to her by an American hero, the white savior. Her freedom is often equated with the removal of her hijab if she wears one, because that act represents a deviation from Islamic values and shows her moving towards assimilatio...