Why can’t a film about a hijab-wearing Muslim teenager actually be played by a hijab-wearing Muslim teenager?
Why can’t a film about a hijab-wearing Muslim teenager actually be played by a hijab-wearing Muslim teenager?
Amidst an outpouring of shock and condemnation, Apple TV’s new film, set to be released on December 6th, follows the life of a troubled hijab-wearing teenage girl. ‘Hala’ portrays the life of a Muslim teenage girl who falls in love with a non-Muslim white boy at her high school. Rated R for “scenes of sexuality”, the trailer shows her getting intimate with the boy in a parked car at night.
Putting aside the issue of falling in love with non-Muslims, which could have been a legitimate topic to delve into, the trailer remains troubling because of the continued portrayal of Muslim girls who wear hijab as oppressed, struggling females who suffer under family and societal burdens. While the trailer is only a little less than two minutes, the general theme seems to be heading towards her struggling to stay true to her religion.
Instead of making a movie about a white guy who frees a Muslim girl from hijab, make a movie about a proud Muslim girl who smacks a white guy for crossing the line.
*of course the smack is with a glove to avoid contact with non-Mahram#HalaMovie
— Shaykh Azhar Nasser (@ShaykhAzhar) November 6, 2019
We need a movie that follows the life of a flaming Islamophobe from Alabama who falls in love with a traditional Muslim girl.
He tries to save her but realizes that he is the lost soul.
He then converts to Islam, finds peace and becomes the muazzin at the local mosque.
The end
— Shaykh Azhar Nasser (@ShaykhAzhar) November 6, 2019
While these struggles are certainty there, and are certainty felt by Muslim girls across the West, it becomes frustrating when the hijab or the religion of Islam are portrayed as oppressive. The character Hala, played by actress Geraldine Viswanathan, is seen taking off her hijab as well, baffling many Muslim women. Why can’t a film about a hijab-wearing Muslim teenager actually be played by a hijab-wearing Muslim teenager?
Can we Stop with this hijabi Muslim sad life , oppressed, dutiful falls in love with white boy cant have him bs. Pretty disappointing that jada pinkett is a producer. Its these movies that make it harder for us to live bc This crap sets the tone of how pple see us. #halamovie https://t.co/d4YAdxz5io
— sabrina (@baldiestani) November 6, 2019
The director of the film, Minhal Baig, has reportedly faced a tremendous onslaught of backlash. The film is also produced by Jada Pinkett Smith, who has been applauded for her eye-opening series “Red Table Talk” despite the criticisms of this film. In spite of the film’s attempt at showing so-called ‘real life issues’ of Western Muslim women, it unfortunately has been added to a long list of Hollywood inspired films that depict Muslim women in a submissive, oppressed role.
This. Why are filmmakers so scared of telling Muslim stories that don’t show Muslims to be backwards or intolerant? No thanks. Next. https://t.co/zBX8y1yMBT
— Nouri Sardar (@NouriSardar) November 6, 2019
With the film set to be released on the 6th of December, it remains to be seen whether some miraculous plot twist will show the main character embracing her identity and religion without the typical white-man saviour theme.
