So I watched Elite so y’all don’t have to.
Hi. Welcome to my random rant about muslim representation because I’m muslim so why not. Before I start, for all of those who don’t know me, I like to thrive on positivity, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, I just want to give my opinion, because, as a muslim, I feel like I am allowed to have one.
Let’s begin then. Okay so, they made Nadia take her hijab off, they made her kiss and sleep with Guzman, not once but twice. They made her drink. And to be honest, I was so pissed I stopped watching the show at least five times. But I kept going, because, I mean, even if I don’t agree with something, I have to fully understand it to say I don’t like it.
It really seemed obvious to me that this show and this character were written by white people. Because I felt like they defined Islam as a set of rules instead of faith. Faith, which is fully based on emotions and soul. So to them, a muslim couldn’t drink, have sex, date… because the religion said so. But it was never a discussion about all the reasons why we’re not supposed to do them. About why we pray and why we put God first. And I mean, I can’t expect them to do that, but one can dream.
And I know some muslims drink, I know some have sex, I know some take their hijabs off.
I’ve had different talks this week about this show. One friend said that the reasons why some take off their hijab is more complicated than that. I’ve had friends who took it off too, and I know, it’s more complicated than wanting to fit in. You should just talk to them.
I told my sister about the show, a beautiful hijabi who has to face discrimination everyday as we live in France, a hijabi who cannot be seen as smart (she’s way smarter than me though lol). And do you know what she said? She said “yeah, well that happens, some girls and boys do that.”
And yeah some do that. But to me, it’s the old same trope that I’ve seen a billion times. And I am just hungry for positive, healthy representation. I want a normalization of young muslim women, who laugh, who cry, who love God and pray. I want to see a girl who struggles, not with her faith, not with her parents, but with what she wants. I want to see myself on TV, I want to know that my niece, my little cousins will be able to see themselves on TV. I want to hear them say “look! she’s a muslim! and a doctor! and an actress! and a fireman!” I want that for them.
I am not mad at the actress, I mean it’s her job, she’s supposed to do it. I’m not mad at the writers, they just don’t know. Having talked about islam with a white man, who’s a very nice (and cute but that’s not the point) colleague of mine, I realized that if you don’t go through what minorities go through on a daily basis, then you don’t get it. You can’t. And I know my troubles as a muslim woman in France, but I don’t know the troubles of gays, trans, Native Americans, sikhs, blacks, asians… So please, to finish this, I want us to remember to be kind with each other. Everyone you know is having a battle you know nothing about.
Also, I’m very glad that Iman Meskini and Tua Elfawwal started to pave the way for feminine and muslim representation on media. Let’s keep going. Yo guys, if you’re willing to join me, I’d be glad to write a scenario about that. I act too, I never mentioned that here. Anyways, goodnight guys, lots of love.
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