"How are Muslims represented in and stereotyped in British dramas such as Britz?"
Today young British Muslims are represented and stereotyped within the British media. It said to 83% of Muslims are proud to be British compared with the average of 79%, so how are British Muslims proud of their of their birth while they are stereotyped, misrepresented and abused in real life situations which is depicted in British dramas. I am going to focus on how Muslims are represented and stereotyped in British dramas such as Britz. As my independent study focuses on the representations and stereotypes of Muslims in British dramas, I’ve chosen “Britz” as my main text as it portrayed the representation of two British Muslim siblings who are pulled in radically different directions by their conflicting personal experiences after the events of 9/11 and 7/7 in Britain. I will be investigating whether these representations and stereotypes exist in British dramas. “Representations of Islam and Muslims in the media have been a topic of considerable debate and discussion, particularly in recent times” [1]. Stereotypes are becoming a natural process as Islamophobia in the mainstream media and has been referred to be a natural process in the construction of representations of Muslims, which makes us question the realism of British dramas. “It has been argued that certain images and stereotypes are no so deeply embedded and almost necessary to media coverage that Islamophobia almost a natural process” (Allen, 2002) [2].
To compare if Islamophoia was present before 9/11, “Mind Your Language” represents ethnic minorities. The British comedy television series that premiered on ITV in late 1977
It could be said that 10 years ago the lives of Muslims and many others changed forever and from there the representations and stereotypes of Muslims increased. The events of 9/11 left the Earth shaken as one of the great powers was attacked by the Al qaeda. The mainstream media was forever changed "All these stereotypes have emerged with the renewed force since 9/11".[3]. It wasn’t only the lives of Muslims that changed forever it could be said that it was the day, the media changed forever. After the events of 9/11 the media changed the representations of Muslims, comedy cartoons such as ‘Family Guy’ represent Muslims as evil and violating aspects of interpretations of Muslim law. To ease moral panic Hollywood released a number of films containing the main protagonists to be superheroes. “Immediately following the attacks, Hollywood took a sensitive step away from disaster spectacle. The original teaser trailer for Spiderman (2002) had featured the titular hero spinning a web between the two towers of the WTC in order to catch a helicopter full of criminals”. [4] This connotes that the mainstream media can influence the mainstream audience into believing that superheroes exist representing America as a strong powerful state. However it could arise a question if this was to ease moral panic or to inform that America cannot be pulled down even after the events of 9/11. However the controversy of Islamic fundamentalism and its represented in the media has been a serious issue since the events of 9/11. “History, they say, was made and unmade on 9/11. The psychic shock seemed to first unite all humanity, but then Bush and Blair launched their sinister war on terror and our earth was split apart”. [5] Events since September 2001, have dramatically altered the political environment in the Muslim world, it led to many countries strengthening their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers.
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Task 5
How are Muslims represented and stereotyped in British dramas such as Britz?
• Introduction of critical investigation – brief introduction on the topic (representations and stereotypes)
My critical investigation title is ‘How are Muslims represented in and stereotyped in British dramas such as Britz? I am going to focus on how Muslims are represented and stereotyped in British dramas such as Britz. As my independent study focuses on the representations and stereotypes of Muslims in British dramas, I’ve chosen “Britz” as my main text as it portrayed the representation of two British Muslim siblings who are pulled in radically different directions by their conflicting personal experiences after the events of 9/11 and 7/7 in Britain. I will be investigating whether these representations and stereotypes exist in British dramas. “Representations of Islam and Muslims in the media have been a topic of considerable debate and discussion, particularly in recent times” [1]. And if these stereotypes are becoming an natural process as Islamophobia has been referred to be a natural process in the construction of representations of Muslims.“It has been argued that certain images and stereotypes are no so deeply embedded and almost necessary to media coverage that Islamophobia almost a natural process” (Allen, 2002) [2].
Other texts that I will focus and use to further explore and develeop my question will be a historical text “Mind Your Language”, a British comedy television series that premiered on ITV in late 1977. I will use my independent study which focuses on British Muslims in British dramas to help me with my investigation to reinforce my answers.
• Post 9/11 and 7/7 – The way the lives of Muslims changed forever due to the events of 9/11
It could be said that 10 years ago the lives of Muslims and many others changed forever and from there the representations and stereotypes of Muslims increased. "All these stereotypes have emerged with the renewed force since 9/11".[3]. It wasn’t only the lives of Muslims that changed forever it could be said that it was the day, the media changed forever. After the events of 9/11 the media changed the representations of Muslims, comedy cartoons such as ‘Family Guy’ represent Muslims as evil and violating aspects of interpretations of Muslim law. To ease moral panic Hollywood released a number of films containing the main protagonists to be superheroes. “Immediately following the attacks, Hollywood took a sensitive step away from disaster spectacle. The original teaser trailer for Spiderman (2002) had featured the titular hero spinning a web between the two towers of the WTC in order to catch a helicopter full of criminals”. [4] This connotes that the mainstream media can influence the mainstream audience into believing that superheroes exist representing America as a strong powerful state. However it could arise a question if this was to ease moral panic or to inform that America cannot be pulled down even after the events of 9/11. However the controversy of Islamic fundamentalism and its represented in the media has been a serious issue since the events of 9/11. “History, they say, was made and unmade on 9/11. The psychic shock seemed to first unite all humanity, but then Bush and Blair launched their sinister war on terror and our earth was split apart”. [5] Events since September 2001, have dramatically altered the political environment in the Muslim world, it led to many countries strengthening their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers.
• Stereotypes and Representation of Muslims
The stereotypes and representations of Muslims have changed over the years. In the 1970s Muslims were being stereotyped and represented as immigrates entering Muslims soil unwelcomed. Comedy Sitcoms such as “Mind Your Language” and “Till Death Do Us Part” mocked Muslims. “Muslims are stereotyped and "framed" within the political, cultural, and media discourses of the West”.[6]. However after the events of 9/11 the mainstream media changed from Muslims being represented what was light hearted comedy into representing Muslims in an negative light which is becoming known as ‘Islamophobia’ and being referred as the ‘other’ “the Oriental constructions of the Other in Britain have come to be known as ‘Islamophobia’”. [7] Islamophoia describes the prejudice against Muslims and Islam. The term dates back to the early 1990s, however it became a common usage after the events of 9/11. Many accuse the mainstream media to be Islamophobic which creates unaccurate and misrepresentations of Muslims living in the 21st century “my own position on ‘representation’ is that ‘the media’ construct their own reality.” [8] However the representation of Muslims in British dramas such as EastEnders has not be so negative. However many people disagree that EastEnders portrayers Muslims as they really are. The Masood family was introduced in 2007 representing the Asian ethnic minority has been accused of inaccurate representations. The BBC’s iintentions was to develop the Masoods as “rounded human beings tacking the issues of day-today life in Albert Square”.[9]. However the British drama EastEnders has attempted to deal with real life situations with the storyline of Syed Masood turning gay, “storyline in the hope that the character Syed Masood would help tacke the double discrimination of homophobia and Islamophobia that many gay Muslims face”. [10] EastEnders portrays the values of the BBC to educate, to inform and to entertain which shows Muslims as normal humans and as the ’other’. However Muslims are still being stereotyped in other mainstream media dramas.
• Britz
The 2007 two part British drama Britz represents Muslims and the prejudice they face post 9/11. “Peter Kosminsky's drama about a British Muslim family who are pulled in radically different directions by their conflicting personal experiences in post 9/11 Britain”. [11]. The two protagonists are successful university students, Sohail is studying law however is soon recruited by the secret service MI5. He is represented to be ambitious and successful young Muslim however in his first assignment he is led back to his own community in Bradford in which no one not even his family and close friends know that they are under suspicion. The audience sees Sohail decide where his loyalties really lie, with the Pakistani Muslims community or with the country of his birth, England. “A new television drama to be aired this week in part blames such laws for motivating a fictional British female suicide bomber in a hard-hitting attempt to portray the causes for Islamist extremism”.[12] Part two goes on to follow the other sibling Nasima is a medical student studing in Leeds and spends much of her time campaigning against repressive government policies. After she witnesses her best friend Zab going through torment becomes the turning point of Nasima’s story. Her best friend Zab hangs herself after being abused while under arrest for innocently falling foul of the new anti-terror laws. Nasima is forced to question her liberal views after attending regular Islamic meetings and is left feeling angry at and estranged from the county of her Birth, England. “Told in 2-sections we see the same struggle from both points of view and the impact that their decisions have on each other. Both leads are so strong and sympathetic in their very multi-layered roles, that it captivates you and makes you so invested with their characters”.[13] Britz questions the laws that have been passed in the UK and how it has affected the Muslim community. The opening scenes of the drama show the conflicts which Muslims face upon in the media and in their communities.
• Historical text- Mind Your Language
In comparison the comedy television series Mind Your Language shows the differences between how Muslims are represented and stereotypes in the 1970s, however the British drama Britz depicts how Muslims are now represented and stereotyped in today’s society. The two texts have great differences “Mind Your Language would seem politically incorrect these days. Making fun of ethnic minorities and their attempts to speak English” [14] however British dramas have much of serious tone, "Drainingly powerful drama about Muslims in post 7/7 Britain, set out to uproot Western prejudices and to humanise terror suspects". [15]. Mind Your Language was a light hearted comedy sitcom which showed the differences between Sikhs and Muslims. The two characters Ranjeet and Ali represent the culture difference between the two religions after the partition of India in 1947. However the only serious underlying issues were the immigration matter that Britain faced in the 1970s which led to the Race Relations Act 1976.
• Theories - Marxism/ Islamophobia / Realism/ Audience Theories
The Audience Theory is important to decide whether the media shapes the audiences’s perception of the world around them and people within it, or whether it is up to the audience to decide for themselves if whether these representations reflect reality. This leads to question if the mainstream media depict reality as it really is and leads to question the theory of realism. However the audience is able to have its own voice and its own answers and does not have to agree with the media. Britz shows a different view on Muslims and has a strong message at the end of the two part drama putting its views across about the government and the laws that have been passed. Marxism and Hegemony link into the critical investigation. It could be said that a big media conglomerate could dominating the media which maintains power by making everyone accept their ideology as normal. This could be referred upon Islamophobia as it has been questioned if it is becoming a natural process in the media. “Social change was explained by the struggle between competing and antagonistic forces in society. This struggles was between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ who Marx differentiated in terms of their possession of economic power”. [16] Marxist discusses the media to be the ‘haves’ having all the power in which they could influence their views upon the audience and ‘have nots’ to be the audience. “Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or Muslims .The term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States”. [17]. Islamophobia makes us question if the mainstream media use it and if many people believe in it.
• Conclusion – Summary
It could be concluded that British dramas reinfornce the stereotypes and negative representations of Muslim in which the audience agree with. Theories such as Islamophobia is becoming a regular way of using portraying Muslims in the mainstream media which questions if what we see on TV is real (realism theory). Then I will discuss British Dramas can discuss how they have changed over the years and how events in real life have changed attitudes towards Muslims and how have representations and stereotypes changed over the years. (SHEP)
[1] page 2 - Ameli, Saied R.. The British media and Muslim representation: ideology of demonisation. Wembley: Islamic Human Rights Commission, 2007. Print.
[2] page 14 - Ameli, Saied R.. The British media and Muslim representation: ideology of demonisation. Wembley: Islamic Human Rights Commission, 2007. Print.
[3] page 2- Morey, Peter, and Amina Yaqin.Framing Muslims: stereotyping and representation after 9/11. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2011. Print.
[4] http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM37_Production_Cinema9_11.html
[5] http://www.independent.co.uk/hei-fi/views/yasmin-alibhaibrown-the-shadow-hanging-over-muslims-is-lifting-2351182.html?origin=internalSearch
[6] page 2- Morey, Peter, and Amina Yaqin.Framing Muslims: stereotyping and representation after 9/11. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2011. Print.
[7] page 22- Poole, Elizabeth. Reporting Islam: media representations of British Muslims. London: I.B. Tauris ;, 2002. Print.
[8]page 31- Poole, Elizabeth. Reporting Islam: media representations of British Muslims. London: I.B. Tauris ;, 2002. Print.
[9] http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/may/28/eastenders-gay-love-affair?INTCMP=SRCHEastenders:%20Muslim%20character%20to%20have%20gay%20love%20affair
[10] http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jul/29/gay-muslims-britain?INTCMP=SRCH
[11] http://www.channel4.com/programmes/britz/episode-guide/series-1
[12] http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/archive/british-drama-probes-muslim-extremists-mind.html
[13] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/britz/
[14] http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8586696
[15] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3669027/Britz-blew-its-credibility-in-the-final-minute.html
[16] http://ckbooks.com/mastering_communication/theories-of-communication/revision-2/
[17] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamophobia
• Introduction of critical investigation – brief introduction on the topic (representations and stereotypes)
My critical investigation title is ‘How are Muslims represented in and stereotyped in British dramas such as Britz? I am going to focus on how Muslims are represented and stereotyped in British dramas such as Britz. As my independent study focuses on the representations and stereotypes of Muslims in British dramas, I’ve chosen “Britz” as my main text as it portrayed the representation of two British Muslim siblings who are pulled in radically different directions by their conflicting personal experiences after the events of 9/11 and 7/7 in Britain. I will be investigating whether these representations and stereotypes exist in British dramas. “Representations of Islam and Muslims in the media have been a topic of considerable debate and discussion, particularly in recent times” [1]. And if these stereotypes are becoming an natural process as Islamophobia has been referred to be a natural process in the construction of representations of Muslims.“It has been argued that certain images and stereotypes are no so deeply embedded and almost necessary to media coverage that Islamophobia almost a natural process” (Allen, 2002) [2].
Other texts that I will focus and use to further explore and develeop my question will be a historical text “Mind Your Language”, a British comedy television series that premiered on ITV in late 1977. I will use my independent study which focuses on British Muslims in British dramas to help me with my investigation to reinforce my answers.
• Post 9/11 and 7/7 – The way the lives of Muslims changed forever due to the events of 9/11
It could be said that 10 years ago the lives of Muslims and many others changed forever and from there the representations and stereotypes of Muslims increased. "All these stereotypes have emerged with the renewed force since 9/11".[3]. It wasn’t only the lives of Muslims that changed forever it could be said that it was the day, the media changed forever. After the events of 9/11 the media changed the representations of Muslims, comedy cartoons such as ‘Family Guy’ represent Muslims as evil and violating aspects of interpretations of Muslim law. To ease moral panic Hollywood released a number of films containing the main protagonists to be superheroes. “Immediately following the attacks, Hollywood took a sensitive step away from disaster spectacle. The original teaser trailer for Spiderman (2002) had featured the titular hero spinning a web between the two towers of the WTC in order to catch a helicopter full of criminals”. [4] This connotes that the mainstream media can influence the mainstream audience into believing that superheroes exist representing America as a strong powerful state. However it could arise a question if this was to ease moral panic or to inform that America cannot be pulled down even after the events of 9/11. However the controversy of Islamic fundamentalism and its represented in the media has been a serious issue since the events of 9/11. “History, they say, was made and unmade on 9/11. The psychic shock seemed to first unite all humanity, but then Bush and Blair launched their sinister war on terror and our earth was split apart”. [5] Events since September 2001, have dramatically altered the political environment in the Muslim world, it led to many countries strengthening their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers.
• Stereotypes and Representation of Muslims
The stereotypes and representations of Muslims have changed over the years. In the 1970s Muslims were being stereotyped and represented as immigrates entering Muslims soil unwelcomed. Comedy Sitcoms such as “Mind Your Language” and “Till Death Do Us Part” mocked Muslims. “Muslims are stereotyped and "framed" within the political, cultural, and media discourses of the West”.[6]. However after the events of 9/11 the mainstream media changed from Muslims being represented what was light hearted comedy into representing Muslims in an negative light which is becoming known as ‘Islamophobia’ and being referred as the ‘other’ “the Oriental constructions of the Other in Britain have come to be known as ‘Islamophobia’”. [7] Islamophoia describes the prejudice against Muslims and Islam. The term dates back to the early 1990s, however it became a common usage after the events of 9/11. Many accuse the mainstream media to be Islamophobic which creates unaccurate and misrepresentations of Muslims living in the 21st century “my own position on ‘representation’ is that ‘the media’ construct their own reality.” [8] However the representation of Muslims in British dramas such as EastEnders has not be so negative. However many people disagree that EastEnders portrayers Muslims as they really are. The Masood family was introduced in 2007 representing the Asian ethnic minority has been accused of inaccurate representations. The BBC’s iintentions was to develop the Masoods as “rounded human beings tacking the issues of day-today life in Albert Square”.[9]. However the British drama EastEnders has attempted to deal with real life situations with the storyline of Syed Masood turning gay, “storyline in the hope that the character Syed Masood would help tacke the double discrimination of homophobia and Islamophobia that many gay Muslims face”. [10] EastEnders portrays the values of the BBC to educate, to inform and to entertain which shows Muslims as normal humans and as the ’other’. However Muslims are still being stereotyped in other mainstream media dramas.
• Britz
The 2007 two part British drama Britz represents Muslims and the prejudice they face post 9/11. “Peter Kosminsky's drama about a British Muslim family who are pulled in radically different directions by their conflicting personal experiences in post 9/11 Britain”. [11]. The two protagonists are successful university students, Sohail is studying law however is soon recruited by the secret service MI5. He is represented to be ambitious and successful young Muslim however in his first assignment he is led back to his own community in Bradford in which no one not even his family and close friends know that they are under suspicion. The audience sees Sohail decide where his loyalties really lie, with the Pakistani Muslims community or with the country of his birth, England. “A new television drama to be aired this week in part blames such laws for motivating a fictional British female suicide bomber in a hard-hitting attempt to portray the causes for Islamist extremism”.[12] Part two goes on to follow the other sibling Nasima is a medical student studing in Leeds and spends much of her time campaigning against repressive government policies. After she witnesses her best friend Zab going through torment becomes the turning point of Nasima’s story. Her best friend Zab hangs herself after being abused while under arrest for innocently falling foul of the new anti-terror laws. Nasima is forced to question her liberal views after attending regular Islamic meetings and is left feeling angry at and estranged from the county of her Birth, England. “Told in 2-sections we see the same struggle from both points of view and the impact that their decisions have on each other. Both leads are so strong and sympathetic in their very multi-layered roles, that it captivates you and makes you so invested with their characters”.[13] Britz questions the laws that have been passed in the UK and how it has affected the Muslim community. The opening scenes of the drama show the conflicts which Muslims face upon in the media and in their communities.
• Historical text- Mind Your Language
In comparison the comedy television series Mind Your Language shows the differences between how Muslims are represented and stereotypes in the 1970s, however the British drama Britz depicts how Muslims are now represented and stereotyped in today’s society. The two texts have great differences “Mind Your Language would seem politically incorrect these days. Making fun of ethnic minorities and their attempts to speak English” [14] however British dramas have much of serious tone, "Drainingly powerful drama about Muslims in post 7/7 Britain, set out to uproot Western prejudices and to humanise terror suspects". [15]. Mind Your Language was a light hearted comedy sitcom which showed the differences between Sikhs and Muslims. The two characters Ranjeet and Ali represent the culture difference between the two religions after the partition of India in 1947. However the only serious underlying issues were the immigration matter that Britain faced in the 1970s which led to the Race Relations Act 1976.
• Theories - Marxism/ Islamophobia / Realism/ Audience Theories
The Audience Theory is important to decide whether the media shapes the audiences’s perception of the world around them and people within it, or whether it is up to the audience to decide for themselves if whether these representations reflect reality. This leads to question if the mainstream media depict reality as it really is and leads to question the theory of realism. However the audience is able to have its own voice and its own answers and does not have to agree with the media. Britz shows a different view on Muslims and has a strong message at the end of the two part drama putting its views across about the government and the laws that have been passed. Marxism and Hegemony link into the critical investigation. It could be said that a big media conglomerate could dominating the media which maintains power by making everyone accept their ideology as normal. This could be referred upon Islamophobia as it has been questioned if it is becoming a natural process in the media. “Social change was explained by the struggle between competing and antagonistic forces in society. This struggles was between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ who Marx differentiated in terms of their possession of economic power”. [16] Marxist discusses the media to be the ‘haves’ having all the power in which they could influence their views upon the audience and ‘have nots’ to be the audience. “Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or Muslims .The term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States”. [17]. Islamophobia makes us question if the mainstream media use it and if many people believe in it.
• Conclusion – Summary
It could be concluded that British dramas reinfornce the stereotypes and negative representations of Muslim in which the audience agree with. Theories such as Islamophobia is becoming a regular way of using portraying Muslims in the mainstream media which questions if what we see on TV is real (realism theory). Then I will discuss British Dramas can discuss how they have changed over the years and how events in real life have changed attitudes towards Muslims and how have representations and stereotypes changed over the years. (SHEP)
[1] page 2 - Ameli, Saied R.. The British media and Muslim representation: ideology of demonisation. Wembley: Islamic Human Rights Commission, 2007. Print.
[2] page 14 - Ameli, Saied R.. The British media and Muslim representation: ideology of demonisation. Wembley: Islamic Human Rights Commission, 2007. Print.
[3] page 2- Morey, Peter, and Amina Yaqin.Framing Muslims: stereotyping and representation after 9/11. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2011. Print.
[4] http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM37_Production_Cinema9_11.html
[5] http://www.independent.co.uk/hei-fi/views/yasmin-alibhaibrown-the-shadow-hanging-over-muslims-is-lifting-2351182.html?origin=internalSearch
[6] page 2- Morey, Peter, and Amina Yaqin.Framing Muslims: stereotyping and representation after 9/11. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2011. Print.
[7] page 22- Poole, Elizabeth. Reporting Islam: media representations of British Muslims. London: I.B. Tauris ;, 2002. Print.
[8]page 31- Poole, Elizabeth. Reporting Islam: media representations of British Muslims. London: I.B. Tauris ;, 2002. Print.
[9] http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/may/28/eastenders-gay-love-affair?INTCMP=SRCHEastenders:%20Muslim%20character%20to%20have%20gay%20love%20affair
[10] http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jul/29/gay-muslims-britain?INTCMP=SRCH
[11] http://www.channel4.com/programmes/britz/episode-guide/series-1
[12] http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/archive/british-drama-probes-muslim-extremists-mind.html
[13] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/britz/
[14] http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8586696
[15] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3669027/Britz-blew-its-credibility-in-the-final-minute.html
[16] http://ckbooks.com/mastering_communication/theories-of-communication/revision-2/
[17] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamophobia
Task 4
1. Horror and Heroics: the Cinema of September 11th
http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM37_Production_Cinema9_11.html
“Immediately following the attacks, Hollywood took a sensitive step away from disaster spectacle. The original teaser trailer for Spiderman (2002) had featured the titular hero spinning a web between the two towers of the WTC in order to catch a helicopter full of criminals”.
This quote from the media magazine site states that after the events of 9/11 the media immediately had to ease the moral panic that was caused by the events. Since the events of 9/11 more superhero movies and programmes have emerged in which has led to easing the moral panic socially.
2. Horror and Heroics: the Cinema of September 11th
http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM37_Production_Cinema9_11.html
“Some of these films have tried accurately to portray the events of 9/11 in an honest and realistic manner. Some have used 9/11 to push a political message. However, more recently some films have used 9/11 as a plot twist or as a means of creating emotion in narratives featuring fictional characters. Nevertheless in most cases the audiences going to see these films are totally aware of what they are about to watch due to the marketing and publicity”.
This quote concludes the planning and making behind the films that were released after the events of 9/11. The aims of the films were to ease moral panic by creating superheros and creating stories and recreating what may have happened to them victims that were innocently killed. This shows the effects of the media upon society and how the media can ease the moral panic which have been created by real life situations. This links upon to my critical investigation as Muslims were stereotyped and views upon 9/11 were changed forever, this leaves the question if the media have anything to do with stereotypes and representations that have been created and is Islamphobia becoming a natural process in the reporting and constructions of Muslims post 9/11.
3. Britz
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/britz/episode-guide/series-1
“Peter Kosminsky's drama about a British Muslim family who are pulled in radically different directions by their conflicting personal experiences in post 9/11 Britain”.
This quote is important for my critical investigation as it sums the drama Britz up. The drama is set after the events of 9/11 and show how it has impacted their lives in which Sohail becomes a MI5 officer and Nasima is becomes a terrorist and bombs Canary Warf.
4. ‘Britz’ blew its credibility in the final minute
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3669027/Britz-blew-its-credibility-in-the-final-minute.html
"Drainingly powerful drama about Muslims in post 7/7 Britain, set out to uproot Western prejudices and to humanise terror suspects"
The quote sums up what the drama’s aims were to show, and how Muslim representations have changed after the events of 9/11 and 7/7,
5. ‘Britz’ blew its credibility in the final minute
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3669027/Britz-blew-its-credibility-in-the-final-minute.html
“At the story’s heart were Sohail and Nasima Wahid (the equally excellent Riz Ahmed and Manjinder Virk), a Muslim brother and sister from Bradford. Sohail is proudly British – to the extent that he gave up his law degree to become an MI5 agent, unravelling terror plots”.
“Nasima, by contrast, is appalled by the invasion of Iraq, the Terrorism Act and the abuse by police of a friend arrested for owning an unusually large quantity of pepper (could be used to make bombs, said an officer). Nasima started Britz as a leader of peaceful public protests. She ended it a suicide bomber”.
The quote sums up the characters in the drama and their aims and motifs in which are shown through the drama. The two part drama is about the two progonists which are brother and sister, and radically pulled different ways because of the impact of the media and how people are racially towards Muslims.
6. Britz
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0991005/
“At the heart of this thought-provoking drama is a revealing examination of British Muslim life under current anti-terror legislation"
This quote states the plot of the drama and how it makes the audience question about the rights and how Muslims fight against Islamophobia.
7. Britz (2007)
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/britz/
“Told in 2-sections we see the same struggle from both points of view and the impact that their decisions have one each other. Both leads are so strong and sympathetic in their very multi-layered roles, that it captivates you and makes you so invested with their characters”.
This quote describes the plot of the drama and impact of the drama on audience.
8. Young Muslims and British
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/nov/30/islamandbritain.madeleinebunting
“The 'war on terror' has put British Muslims under the spotlight as never before".
The quote states the British Muslims are portrayed in the media often and it is because of the war.
9. Young Muslims and British
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/nov/30/islamandbritain.madeleinebunting
“But the post 9/11 debates amongst Muslims on faith, identity and integration are rarely heard in the mainstream media”.
The quote above states the impact of 9/11 has impacted the media and causes debates within the mainstream media however the side of Muslims is never heard in the mainstream media.
10. Young Muslims and British
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/nov/30/islamandbritain.madeleinebunting
“Insure, lacking self-confidence, haunted by failure and by personal experiences of deprivation, racism and, since 9/11, oppressive anti-terrorist measures and increasing Islamophobia”.
The quote states how Muslims feel and how the increasing Islamophobia is effecting Muslims and how it has a impact on the media, in which we can question is Islamophobia a natural process.
11. Four Lions ( 2010)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1341167/
“Four Lions tells the story of a group of British jihadists who push their abstract dreams of glory to the breaking point”.
The storyline of the drama-film Four Lions shows the response of Muslims after 9/11 and 7/11. The film decides to mock terrorists. The film shows four incompetent British jihadists who set out to train and commit acts of terror. The film goes on to mock how Muslims are portrayed in society and represent and portray the stereotypes in which Muslims and Islam is placed upon.
12. British drama probes Muslim extremists’ mind
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/archive/british-drama-probes-muslim-extremists-mind.html
“Since the 2001 attacks on the United States, Britain has passed a series of laws that some Muslims feel unfairly target them, and human rights groups condemn as repressive”.
This quote opens the article and states how Muslims feel about the laws that are being passed and are being accused for the attacks of terror which is portrayed in the drama Britz.
13. British drama probes Muslim extremists’ mind
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/archive/british-drama-probes-muslim-extremists-mind.html
“A new television drama to be aired this week in part blames such laws for motivating a fictional British female suicide bomber in a hard-hitting attempt to portray the causes for Islamist extremism”.
This quote sums up the plot of the drama and how Muslims feel to be referred as the ‘other’ in which creates trouble inside the Muslim society.
14. British drama probes Muslim extremists’ mind
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/archive/british-drama-probes-muslim-extremists-mind.html
“Kosminsky says taking religion as a motivating factor for extremism out of the equation was deliberate as their interviews with young Muslims suggested politics, particularly British foreign policy, was the source of disaffection. That is driven home with references to Mohammed Sidique Khan, ringleader of the 2005 attacks in London that killed 56 people, including the four suicide bombers, and a failed plot to detonate a fertilizer bomb in central London”.
The above quote will be important to use in my critical investigation as it by the director of Britz. He talks about the views and his motive and aim behind the production after interviewing young Muslims.
15. Muslims ‘demonised’ by UK media
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7093390.stm
“Another poll published on Tuesday found that at least 35% of Londoners held Islam responsible for the 7/7 attacks”.
The quote shows how he British public feels about the religion Islam and could this statistic have an influence on the mainstream media.
16. Survey: Most patriotic Brits are Muslims
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3948185/Survey-Most-patriotic-Brits-are-Muslims.html
“A massive 83 per cent of Muslims said they were proud to be British — compared with the national average of 79 per cent”.
This statistic shows that Muslims are proud of Britain even though they are stereotyped and misrepresented in the mainstream media.
17. Survey: Most patriotic Brits are Muslims
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3948185/Survey-Most-patriotic-Brits-are-Muslims.html
“Tahir Shah, from the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, was not surprised at the results.He said: "Most Muslims are not loud, radical, crazy lunatics like Anjem Choudary who want to get publicity for themselves. They want to get on with their lives quietly. They are proud to be British”.
This quote shows the view of Muslims and how they really are. It shows that they are proud of the Britain as they are allowed the freedom to practice their own religion.
18. Survey: Most patriotic Brits are Muslims
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3948185/Survey-Most-patriotic-Brits-are-Muslims.html
“Kashif Hussein, 21, a student at University College London, said: "I feel British and Muslim but since 9/11 we have to show it more, to interact more, to show that we're not that stereotype."
This quote is important as it shows a young British Muslims view on stereotypes and believes not to become that stereotype but to show that British Muslims are not that stereotype that the mainstream media depict.
19. 2001 Bradford Riots
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Bradford_riots
“The Bradford Riots were a short but intense period of rioting which began on 7 July 2001, in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It occurred as a result of heightened tension between the large and growing ethnic minority communities and the city's white majority, stoked by confrontation between the Anti-Nazi League and far right groups such as the British National Party and the National Front”.
The above information and quote will be important to state during my critical investigation as it shows the year of 9/11 and that trouble between Muslims and the whites was becoming a problem.
20. Stereotyping Muslims and Arabs
http://www.amp.ghazali.net/6-Stereotyping_Muslims_and_Arabs.pdf
“Muslims and Arabs have long been negatively portrayed in America. This negative stereotype is
evident in songs, jokes, comic books, novels, Halloween masks, advertising, wrestling, television,
cinema, and many other forms of American popular culture. It can be found even in media that
are supposedly factual, such as school textbooks. In the post 9/11 America the stereotyping of
Muslims and Arabs became even more negative. From political leaders to media and “experts on
Islam” manipulate and mock American patriotism while using Muslims like magnets to attract
fears and hatreds”.
This quote is important as it states the different stereotypes in which areas Muslims are portrayed upon, it also states that how after 9/11 Muslims stereotypes have increased and become even more negative.
http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM37_Production_Cinema9_11.html
“Immediately following the attacks, Hollywood took a sensitive step away from disaster spectacle. The original teaser trailer for Spiderman (2002) had featured the titular hero spinning a web between the two towers of the WTC in order to catch a helicopter full of criminals”.
This quote from the media magazine site states that after the events of 9/11 the media immediately had to ease the moral panic that was caused by the events. Since the events of 9/11 more superhero movies and programmes have emerged in which has led to easing the moral panic socially.
2. Horror and Heroics: the Cinema of September 11th
http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM37_Production_Cinema9_11.html
“Some of these films have tried accurately to portray the events of 9/11 in an honest and realistic manner. Some have used 9/11 to push a political message. However, more recently some films have used 9/11 as a plot twist or as a means of creating emotion in narratives featuring fictional characters. Nevertheless in most cases the audiences going to see these films are totally aware of what they are about to watch due to the marketing and publicity”.
This quote concludes the planning and making behind the films that were released after the events of 9/11. The aims of the films were to ease moral panic by creating superheros and creating stories and recreating what may have happened to them victims that were innocently killed. This shows the effects of the media upon society and how the media can ease the moral panic which have been created by real life situations. This links upon to my critical investigation as Muslims were stereotyped and views upon 9/11 were changed forever, this leaves the question if the media have anything to do with stereotypes and representations that have been created and is Islamphobia becoming a natural process in the reporting and constructions of Muslims post 9/11.
3. Britz
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/britz/episode-guide/series-1
“Peter Kosminsky's drama about a British Muslim family who are pulled in radically different directions by their conflicting personal experiences in post 9/11 Britain”.
This quote is important for my critical investigation as it sums the drama Britz up. The drama is set after the events of 9/11 and show how it has impacted their lives in which Sohail becomes a MI5 officer and Nasima is becomes a terrorist and bombs Canary Warf.
4. ‘Britz’ blew its credibility in the final minute
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3669027/Britz-blew-its-credibility-in-the-final-minute.html
"Drainingly powerful drama about Muslims in post 7/7 Britain, set out to uproot Western prejudices and to humanise terror suspects"
The quote sums up what the drama’s aims were to show, and how Muslim representations have changed after the events of 9/11 and 7/7,
5. ‘Britz’ blew its credibility in the final minute
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3669027/Britz-blew-its-credibility-in-the-final-minute.html
“At the story’s heart were Sohail and Nasima Wahid (the equally excellent Riz Ahmed and Manjinder Virk), a Muslim brother and sister from Bradford. Sohail is proudly British – to the extent that he gave up his law degree to become an MI5 agent, unravelling terror plots”.
“Nasima, by contrast, is appalled by the invasion of Iraq, the Terrorism Act and the abuse by police of a friend arrested for owning an unusually large quantity of pepper (could be used to make bombs, said an officer). Nasima started Britz as a leader of peaceful public protests. She ended it a suicide bomber”.
The quote sums up the characters in the drama and their aims and motifs in which are shown through the drama. The two part drama is about the two progonists which are brother and sister, and radically pulled different ways because of the impact of the media and how people are racially towards Muslims.
6. Britz
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0991005/
“At the heart of this thought-provoking drama is a revealing examination of British Muslim life under current anti-terror legislation"
This quote states the plot of the drama and how it makes the audience question about the rights and how Muslims fight against Islamophobia.
7. Britz (2007)
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/britz/
“Told in 2-sections we see the same struggle from both points of view and the impact that their decisions have one each other. Both leads are so strong and sympathetic in their very multi-layered roles, that it captivates you and makes you so invested with their characters”.
This quote describes the plot of the drama and impact of the drama on audience.
8. Young Muslims and British
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/nov/30/islamandbritain.madeleinebunting
“The 'war on terror' has put British Muslims under the spotlight as never before".
The quote states the British Muslims are portrayed in the media often and it is because of the war.
9. Young Muslims and British
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/nov/30/islamandbritain.madeleinebunting
“But the post 9/11 debates amongst Muslims on faith, identity and integration are rarely heard in the mainstream media”.
The quote above states the impact of 9/11 has impacted the media and causes debates within the mainstream media however the side of Muslims is never heard in the mainstream media.
10. Young Muslims and British
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/nov/30/islamandbritain.madeleinebunting
“Insure, lacking self-confidence, haunted by failure and by personal experiences of deprivation, racism and, since 9/11, oppressive anti-terrorist measures and increasing Islamophobia”.
The quote states how Muslims feel and how the increasing Islamophobia is effecting Muslims and how it has a impact on the media, in which we can question is Islamophobia a natural process.
11. Four Lions ( 2010)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1341167/
“Four Lions tells the story of a group of British jihadists who push their abstract dreams of glory to the breaking point”.
The storyline of the drama-film Four Lions shows the response of Muslims after 9/11 and 7/11. The film decides to mock terrorists. The film shows four incompetent British jihadists who set out to train and commit acts of terror. The film goes on to mock how Muslims are portrayed in society and represent and portray the stereotypes in which Muslims and Islam is placed upon.
12. British drama probes Muslim extremists’ mind
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/archive/british-drama-probes-muslim-extremists-mind.html
“Since the 2001 attacks on the United States, Britain has passed a series of laws that some Muslims feel unfairly target them, and human rights groups condemn as repressive”.
This quote opens the article and states how Muslims feel about the laws that are being passed and are being accused for the attacks of terror which is portrayed in the drama Britz.
13. British drama probes Muslim extremists’ mind
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/archive/british-drama-probes-muslim-extremists-mind.html
“A new television drama to be aired this week in part blames such laws for motivating a fictional British female suicide bomber in a hard-hitting attempt to portray the causes for Islamist extremism”.
This quote sums up the plot of the drama and how Muslims feel to be referred as the ‘other’ in which creates trouble inside the Muslim society.
14. British drama probes Muslim extremists’ mind
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/archive/british-drama-probes-muslim-extremists-mind.html
“Kosminsky says taking religion as a motivating factor for extremism out of the equation was deliberate as their interviews with young Muslims suggested politics, particularly British foreign policy, was the source of disaffection. That is driven home with references to Mohammed Sidique Khan, ringleader of the 2005 attacks in London that killed 56 people, including the four suicide bombers, and a failed plot to detonate a fertilizer bomb in central London”.
The above quote will be important to use in my critical investigation as it by the director of Britz. He talks about the views and his motive and aim behind the production after interviewing young Muslims.
15. Muslims ‘demonised’ by UK media
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7093390.stm
“Another poll published on Tuesday found that at least 35% of Londoners held Islam responsible for the 7/7 attacks”.
The quote shows how he British public feels about the religion Islam and could this statistic have an influence on the mainstream media.
16. Survey: Most patriotic Brits are Muslims
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3948185/Survey-Most-patriotic-Brits-are-Muslims.html
“A massive 83 per cent of Muslims said they were proud to be British — compared with the national average of 79 per cent”.
This statistic shows that Muslims are proud of Britain even though they are stereotyped and misrepresented in the mainstream media.
17. Survey: Most patriotic Brits are Muslims
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3948185/Survey-Most-patriotic-Brits-are-Muslims.html
“Tahir Shah, from the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, was not surprised at the results.He said: "Most Muslims are not loud, radical, crazy lunatics like Anjem Choudary who want to get publicity for themselves. They want to get on with their lives quietly. They are proud to be British”.
This quote shows the view of Muslims and how they really are. It shows that they are proud of the Britain as they are allowed the freedom to practice their own religion.
18. Survey: Most patriotic Brits are Muslims
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3948185/Survey-Most-patriotic-Brits-are-Muslims.html
“Kashif Hussein, 21, a student at University College London, said: "I feel British and Muslim but since 9/11 we have to show it more, to interact more, to show that we're not that stereotype."
This quote is important as it shows a young British Muslims view on stereotypes and believes not to become that stereotype but to show that British Muslims are not that stereotype that the mainstream media depict.
19. 2001 Bradford Riots
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Bradford_riots
“The Bradford Riots were a short but intense period of rioting which began on 7 July 2001, in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It occurred as a result of heightened tension between the large and growing ethnic minority communities and the city's white majority, stoked by confrontation between the Anti-Nazi League and far right groups such as the British National Party and the National Front”.
The above information and quote will be important to state during my critical investigation as it shows the year of 9/11 and that trouble between Muslims and the whites was becoming a problem.
20. Stereotyping Muslims and Arabs
http://www.amp.ghazali.net/6-Stereotyping_Muslims_and_Arabs.pdf
“Muslims and Arabs have long been negatively portrayed in America. This negative stereotype is
evident in songs, jokes, comic books, novels, Halloween masks, advertising, wrestling, television,
cinema, and many other forms of American popular culture. It can be found even in media that
are supposedly factual, such as school textbooks. In the post 9/11 America the stereotyping of
Muslims and Arabs became even more negative. From political leaders to media and “experts on
Islam” manipulate and mock American patriotism while using Muslims like magnets to attract
fears and hatreds”.
This quote is important as it states the different stereotypes in which areas Muslims are portrayed upon, it also states that how after 9/11 Muslims stereotypes have increased and become even more negative.
Task 3
Mind Your Language
The British comedy television series Mind Your Language was premiered on ITV in later 1977. The television series is set in an adult college in London and focuses as english as a foreign language. The classes take place every evening and are taught by Mr Brown. There were 4 seasons to the television series.
Throughout the television series there is trouble between the Sikh character Ranjeet Singh and Ali Nadeem. The drama series portrayed a culture conflict between the two as they battle and verbally fight against eachother. The television series has light comedy in which depicts the partition of India which happened in 1947 is why the two characters hate eachother which connote the troubles and issues between India and Pakistan. The digetic sound in the scenes of the television series is mainly dialogue of the characters talking to eachother, also in the audience can hear a laugh which signals and forces the audience to laugh at the characters. In one scene of the television drama we see the differences and cultural clash between the Sikh and Muslim character. As the Sikh character is in need of 10 pence the Muslim character offers to give him the 10 pence if he repeats “All Muslims are nice, kind and wonderful persons” , the Sikh character Ranjeet repeats what Ali says but after runs off with shouting “All Sikhs are good at lying”. This connotes to the audience the differences between them but however it is turned into a laughing matter and the seriousness of the issue is hidden and not shown.
The camera movement between the series mainly shot-reverse-shots with the students looking at the teacher and medium and long shots showing the whole class sitting and listening to the teacher. Compared to the drama Britz, Mind Your Language is a light hearted comedy with no serious issues or debates. The series Mind Your Language connotes and portrayed how much society has changed over the years as Muslims are more stereotyped in today’s mainstream media.
The mise-en-scene in the drama connotes that the students are from abroad and are foreign. This also connotes to the audience that each character has their own identity and their own place in the english learning class. The mise-en-scene also connotes the mood of the class and connotes to the audience what type of character each of the characters is. The television series depicts the change that Britain went through during immigration, in which there were no signs of moral panics. The television series Mind Your Language shows that serious matters could be taken and laughed about however matters such as 9/11 and 7/7 cannot be laughed about and there is always a seriousness issues and matter laying underneath dramas such as Britz.
The British comedy television series Mind Your Language was premiered on ITV in later 1977. The television series is set in an adult college in London and focuses as english as a foreign language. The classes take place every evening and are taught by Mr Brown. There were 4 seasons to the television series.
Throughout the television series there is trouble between the Sikh character Ranjeet Singh and Ali Nadeem. The drama series portrayed a culture conflict between the two as they battle and verbally fight against eachother. The television series has light comedy in which depicts the partition of India which happened in 1947 is why the two characters hate eachother which connote the troubles and issues between India and Pakistan. The digetic sound in the scenes of the television series is mainly dialogue of the characters talking to eachother, also in the audience can hear a laugh which signals and forces the audience to laugh at the characters. In one scene of the television drama we see the differences and cultural clash between the Sikh and Muslim character. As the Sikh character is in need of 10 pence the Muslim character offers to give him the 10 pence if he repeats “All Muslims are nice, kind and wonderful persons” , the Sikh character Ranjeet repeats what Ali says but after runs off with shouting “All Sikhs are good at lying”. This connotes to the audience the differences between them but however it is turned into a laughing matter and the seriousness of the issue is hidden and not shown.
The camera movement between the series mainly shot-reverse-shots with the students looking at the teacher and medium and long shots showing the whole class sitting and listening to the teacher. Compared to the drama Britz, Mind Your Language is a light hearted comedy with no serious issues or debates. The series Mind Your Language connotes and portrayed how much society has changed over the years as Muslims are more stereotyped in today’s mainstream media.
The mise-en-scene in the drama connotes that the students are from abroad and are foreign. This also connotes to the audience that each character has their own identity and their own place in the english learning class. The mise-en-scene also connotes the mood of the class and connotes to the audience what type of character each of the characters is. The television series depicts the change that Britain went through during immigration, in which there were no signs of moral panics. The television series Mind Your Language shows that serious matters could be taken and laughed about however matters such as 9/11 and 7/7 cannot be laughed about and there is always a seriousness issues and matter laying underneath dramas such as Britz.
Task 2
Cesari, Jocelyne. Muslims in the West after 9/11 religion, politics and law. London: Routledge, 2010. Print.
"Since 9/11 the debate on the compatibility between Islam and Western political and cultural values has become increasingly public".
Page 1
This quote is the opening sentence of the book. The book opens with the events of 9/11 and sets the topic of the book chapter. The quote refers to the western world and Islam which makes it relevant to my critical investigation.
"The problem is the use of the concepts of "culture" and "civilzation", especially describing Islam".
Page 2
This quote is relevant as it talks about culture and references to the media, in which terms they refer to Islam.
"Islam has become the domain and privileged topic of terrorism".
Page 2
This quote gets to the point and is strong and bold. It states about what the religion Islam has been named to be associated with.
"He suggests that current Islamic terrorism discourse is the product of three distinct and very influential genealogies".
Page 2
Richard Jackson suggests from his book that Islam is influenced by the widespread impact of cultural stereotypes and Islamic terrorism.
"The discourse on Islamic terrorism is predicated on binary oppositions: the West versus Islam, democracy anti-modernity and secularism versus religion".
Page 2
The quote talks about the impact of binary oppositions and the influence of the west.
"Islam is portrayed as inherently violent and Muslims are portrayed as desperately incapable of separating religion and politics".
Page 2
The quote states how Islam is portrayed in the media and how other people see it.
"Terrorism is directly linked to fundamentalist forms of Islam, and thus the "bloody borders of Islam" stain much of the discourse on Islam".
Page 3
This quote states the stereotypes how the religion Islam is put on strain because it has been named as the religion linked with terrorists.
"The post 9/11 situation has blurred the distinction between national and international politics when it comes to Islam".
Page 4
The quote states the effects of 9/11 and how it has affected the religion.
Morey, Peter, and Amina Yaqin.Framing Muslims: stereotyping and representation after 9/11. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2011. Print.
"Islam and Freedom: Are they destined to clash?" (Newsweek).
Page 1
This quote opens the book and is rhetorical questions asking the readers about the religion and its freedom.
"Such images are distorted abstractions. Extrapolating from context - specific controversies, they paint Muslims as a homogeneous, zombie-like body".
Page 1
The quote states how Muslims are portrayed and represented in the media.
"Muslims now find themselves across large swathes of the world, and because of the stereotyping of Muslims takes place in repeated in acts of representation by polictians, by press and media".
Page 2
The quote talks about the effects of the media and the stereotypes.
"Muslims are stereotyped and "framed" within the polictial, cultural, and media discourses of the West".
Page 2
The quote states the different areas in which Muslims are represented and stereotyped within.
"Far from being accurate or neutral, contemporary images of Muslims presented by politicans and in the mainstream media and cultural forms are almost tied to an agenda that simulataneously accounces its desire to "engage" with them".
Page 2
The quote talks about the mainstream media and the representations that Muslims are tied down to.
"All these stereotypes have emerged with the renewed force since 9/11".
Page 2
The quote states that the stereotypes were born due to 9/11
Gottschalk, Peter, and Gabriel Greenberg. Islamophobia: making Muslims the enemy. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2008. Print.
Poole, Elizabeth. Reporting Islam: media representations of British Muslims. London: I.B. Tauris ;, 2002. Print.
“My own position on ‘representation’ is that ‘the media’ construct their own reality”
Page 31
The quote mentions the media and how their constructions about representations is not always accurate which links to my critical investigation.
“At a global level, the media have played a role in constructing this idea in the psychic imagination”.
Page 2
The quote talks about the aftermath of 9/11 and how the media have played a role in this.
“The Guardian’s coverage of British Muslims so far can be spilt into main types. The first report Muslim fears, focus on discrimination towards Muslims and cite Muslims’ (generally supportive) responses to the events of 11 September (32 articles)”.
Page 5
The quote above is important because it shows the response to the events of 9/11 and how the media have reporting it in newspapers.
“The Oriental constructions of the Other in Britain have come to be known as ‘Islamphobia’”.
Page 22
The quote mentions how the religion Islam has become known and referred as if a phobia.
Poole, Elizabeth. Muslims and the news media. London: I.B. Tauris, 2006. Print.
“World events such as terrorist attacks on New York and Washington and the war in Iraq have highlighted just how fragile cross-cultural relations continue to be in our global society”.
Page 13
The quote states that the world events such as 9/11 have impacted our society around the world.
Ameli, Saied R.. The British media and Muslim representation: ideology of demonisation. Wembley: Islamic Human Rights Commission, 2007. Print.
“Representations of Islam and Muslims in the media have been a topic of considerable debate and discussion, particularly in recent times”.
Page 2
The quote opens the book and states about Muslims and Islam and their representations being questioned.
“Certain common images and stereotypes tend to dominate both visual and print media, and hositility towards Islam and combines with journalistic values and practices to create a limited caricature of faith and its followers which continually circulates in the media”.
Page 13
The quote talks about how the Muslims are largely seen as a negative influence in the Western media and how these stereotypes dominate the media.
“It has been argued that certain images and stereotypes are no so deeply embedded and almost necessary to media coverage that Islamophobia almost a natural process” (Allen, 2002)
Page 14
The quote is important to my critical investigation as it states that how the media take Islamophobia into a natural process.
Geaves, Ron. Islam and the West post 9/11. Aldershot, England: Ashgate, 2004. Print.
“Muslim minorities in Western democracies and larger and older minorities such as those in India have found themselves under suspicion and easily made the targets of either racism or the resurgence of ancient hostilities that brand them as ‘other’”.
Page 6
The quote states how Muslims have become known as the other after the events of 9/11.
Esposito, John L., and İbrahim Kalın.Islamophobia: the challenge of pluralism in the 21st century. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.
“The interlinking of Islam and multiculturalism is confirmed by the rising tide of Islamphobia, a term that has come to denote acts of intolerance, discrimination, unfounded fear, and racism against Islam and Muslims”.
Page 4
The quote states the meaning of the term Islamophobia.
Ferguson, Robert. Representing "race": ideology, identity, and the media. London: Arnold, 1998. Print.
Martin, Roger. TV for A level media studies. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2000. Print.
Lacey, Nick. Image & representation: key concepts in media studies. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1998. Print.
"Since 9/11 the debate on the compatibility between Islam and Western political and cultural values has become increasingly public".
Page 1
This quote is the opening sentence of the book. The book opens with the events of 9/11 and sets the topic of the book chapter. The quote refers to the western world and Islam which makes it relevant to my critical investigation.
"The problem is the use of the concepts of "culture" and "civilzation", especially describing Islam".
Page 2
This quote is relevant as it talks about culture and references to the media, in which terms they refer to Islam.
"Islam has become the domain and privileged topic of terrorism".
Page 2
This quote gets to the point and is strong and bold. It states about what the religion Islam has been named to be associated with.
"He suggests that current Islamic terrorism discourse is the product of three distinct and very influential genealogies".
Page 2
Richard Jackson suggests from his book that Islam is influenced by the widespread impact of cultural stereotypes and Islamic terrorism.
"The discourse on Islamic terrorism is predicated on binary oppositions: the West versus Islam, democracy anti-modernity and secularism versus religion".
Page 2
The quote talks about the impact of binary oppositions and the influence of the west.
"Islam is portrayed as inherently violent and Muslims are portrayed as desperately incapable of separating religion and politics".
Page 2
The quote states how Islam is portrayed in the media and how other people see it.
"Terrorism is directly linked to fundamentalist forms of Islam, and thus the "bloody borders of Islam" stain much of the discourse on Islam".
Page 3
This quote states the stereotypes how the religion Islam is put on strain because it has been named as the religion linked with terrorists.
"The post 9/11 situation has blurred the distinction between national and international politics when it comes to Islam".
Page 4
The quote states the effects of 9/11 and how it has affected the religion.
Morey, Peter, and Amina Yaqin.Framing Muslims: stereotyping and representation after 9/11. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2011. Print.
"Islam and Freedom: Are they destined to clash?" (Newsweek).
Page 1
This quote opens the book and is rhetorical questions asking the readers about the religion and its freedom.
"Such images are distorted abstractions. Extrapolating from context - specific controversies, they paint Muslims as a homogeneous, zombie-like body".
Page 1
The quote states how Muslims are portrayed and represented in the media.
"Muslims now find themselves across large swathes of the world, and because of the stereotyping of Muslims takes place in repeated in acts of representation by polictians, by press and media".
Page 2
The quote talks about the effects of the media and the stereotypes.
"Muslims are stereotyped and "framed" within the polictial, cultural, and media discourses of the West".
Page 2
The quote states the different areas in which Muslims are represented and stereotyped within.
"Far from being accurate or neutral, contemporary images of Muslims presented by politicans and in the mainstream media and cultural forms are almost tied to an agenda that simulataneously accounces its desire to "engage" with them".
Page 2
The quote talks about the mainstream media and the representations that Muslims are tied down to.
"All these stereotypes have emerged with the renewed force since 9/11".
Page 2
The quote states that the stereotypes were born due to 9/11
Gottschalk, Peter, and Gabriel Greenberg. Islamophobia: making Muslims the enemy. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2008. Print.
Poole, Elizabeth. Reporting Islam: media representations of British Muslims. London: I.B. Tauris ;, 2002. Print.
“My own position on ‘representation’ is that ‘the media’ construct their own reality”
Page 31
The quote mentions the media and how their constructions about representations is not always accurate which links to my critical investigation.
“At a global level, the media have played a role in constructing this idea in the psychic imagination”.
Page 2
The quote talks about the aftermath of 9/11 and how the media have played a role in this.
“The Guardian’s coverage of British Muslims so far can be spilt into main types. The first report Muslim fears, focus on discrimination towards Muslims and cite Muslims’ (generally supportive) responses to the events of 11 September (32 articles)”.
Page 5
The quote above is important because it shows the response to the events of 9/11 and how the media have reporting it in newspapers.
“The Oriental constructions of the Other in Britain have come to be known as ‘Islamphobia’”.
Page 22
The quote mentions how the religion Islam has become known and referred as if a phobia.
Poole, Elizabeth. Muslims and the news media. London: I.B. Tauris, 2006. Print.
“World events such as terrorist attacks on New York and Washington and the war in Iraq have highlighted just how fragile cross-cultural relations continue to be in our global society”.
Page 13
The quote states that the world events such as 9/11 have impacted our society around the world.
Ameli, Saied R.. The British media and Muslim representation: ideology of demonisation. Wembley: Islamic Human Rights Commission, 2007. Print.
“Representations of Islam and Muslims in the media have been a topic of considerable debate and discussion, particularly in recent times”.
Page 2
The quote opens the book and states about Muslims and Islam and their representations being questioned.
“Certain common images and stereotypes tend to dominate both visual and print media, and hositility towards Islam and combines with journalistic values and practices to create a limited caricature of faith and its followers which continually circulates in the media”.
Page 13
The quote talks about how the Muslims are largely seen as a negative influence in the Western media and how these stereotypes dominate the media.
“It has been argued that certain images and stereotypes are no so deeply embedded and almost necessary to media coverage that Islamophobia almost a natural process” (Allen, 2002)
Page 14
The quote is important to my critical investigation as it states that how the media take Islamophobia into a natural process.
Geaves, Ron. Islam and the West post 9/11. Aldershot, England: Ashgate, 2004. Print.
“Muslim minorities in Western democracies and larger and older minorities such as those in India have found themselves under suspicion and easily made the targets of either racism or the resurgence of ancient hostilities that brand them as ‘other’”.
Page 6
The quote states how Muslims have become known as the other after the events of 9/11.
Esposito, John L., and İbrahim Kalın.Islamophobia: the challenge of pluralism in the 21st century. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.
“The interlinking of Islam and multiculturalism is confirmed by the rising tide of Islamphobia, a term that has come to denote acts of intolerance, discrimination, unfounded fear, and racism against Islam and Muslims”.
Page 4
The quote states the meaning of the term Islamophobia.
Ferguson, Robert. Representing "race": ideology, identity, and the media. London: Arnold, 1998. Print.
Martin, Roger. TV for A level media studies. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2000. Print.
Lacey, Nick. Image & representation: key concepts in media studies. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1998. Print.
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Task 1
Britz - Sohail’s Story Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzTGicd7slI&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dbritz%26oq%3Dbritz%26aq%3Df%26aqi%3Dg4%26aql%3D%26gs_sm%3De%26gs_upl%3D2904l3339l0l3458l5l4l0l1l1l0l158l308l0.2l2l0&has_verified=1
In this scene of the Britz (36 minutes) the audience is being shown Sohail’s background and where he is originally from, Bradford. This scene is during the first part of the two part drama during Sohail’s story. Sohail is an young Muslim British student ambitious and university educated student. He desire to assimilate into every aspect of contemporary British culture sees him driven into the open arms of MI5 where his first assignment is to help track down a terrorist cell linked to the July 7th London bombers.
In this scene the enquiry leads him back to his own community in Bradford where no one, not even his closest friends is above suspicion. Throughout the scene the audience sees Sohail facing trouble trying to balance his work around his closest friend and trying not to arise suspicion. Throughout the whole scene we see the camera movement fixed on Sohail which connotes to the audience his emotions. The use of camera movement directs the audience’s attention. The camera movement is fixed upon Sohail as we see his every move leading him up to following his best friend. The audience see a range of mid-shots showing Sohail’s wrestling uniform which contrasts to how Sohail dresses in uniform when he is back in London working for the MI5. On the uniform arm there is the Union Jack flag printed and the words ‘Great Britain’ which shows he character and his nobility for the country which stays with him throughout the drama as Sohail is forced to question where his loyalties really lie, with the Pakistani community or with the country of his birth, England. The medium shots of the protagonist show him fighting against a white character, Muslim vs white foreshadows and connotes to the audience that something is bad is going to happen soon between the two races.
The scene moves to Sohail keeping his eyes on his close friend which he goes on to follow. The drama uses a range of shot – reverse –shots to show Sohails emotion while he is talking to his close friend. It also shows the conversation going on between the two friends and how it is affecting Sohail. As his close friend goes off to see two other Muslims guys it arises questions and trouble for Sohail. Sohail watches the three guys and tries to examine what they are saying. The scene is accompanied by diegetic sound which connotes that something sinister may be going on. Also the diegetic sound creates suspension as the audience and Sohail cannot hear what the three characters are talking about. However as the audience see Sohail’s reaction to this it connotes trouble and questions if his close friend has anything to do with terrorists.
The scene moves into the night which shows that something sinister and bad is about to happen. The dark red colour from the car lights and the diegetic sound of the car sirens connotes that trouble and danger is laying ahead for Sohail and his friends. As the gang of friends are arrested and locked up, the stereotypes of Muslims are portrayed. The Muslim characters are shown to be the ‘other’ in the scene and the white police officers are represented to be the superior race with the power within them. As Sohail is punched into his stomach and lowered down to the floor it connotes the white character is of higher status than he is. The Muslim character is then called a “paki –fuck” which connotes the racial trouble between the characters. It also portrayed issues and debates of post 9/11 and 7/7 of how the Muslim community is being treated and how Islamophobia is becoming a natural process in the media.
Britz - Nasima’s Story Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjK8Hr8VGJw&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dbrizt&has_verified=1
Part two of the drama follows the story of Nasima. Unlike her brother, Nasima is a medical student studying in Leeds and becomes deeply suspicious of the British estabailshement and spends much of her time campaigning against repressive government policies. The turning point is when her best friend kills herself after being abused while under arrest for innocently falling foul of the new anti-terror laws. The audience sees Nasima not only forced to question her liberal views, but he is left feeling angry at and estranged from the country of her birth.
In this scene the audience sees Nasima questioning her liberal believes in which Britain has given her the right to have. In this scene the audience sees the medical student challenging her religion and seeing the affects that are placed upon her. The camera movement follows the medical student in her steps and focuses on her and those affecting her. In the first 5 minutes of the scene the camera is fixed upon a shot reverse shot of the speaker speaking to the audience and Nasima. This connotes to the audience her response to what the male character is saying. Her sitting down while he is standing up shows that males are a superior race against women. As Nasima tries to equal the gender difference and puts her views across that Muslim women are ashamed in Islam and have no voice she is lowered down by the male speaker in which we see as the camera shows her eyes and head being lowered. Nasima is portrayed to be superior to everyone present at the meeting as she is not wearing an hjaab but the others behind her are. This scene reinforces the gender and ethnicity theory in which male is seen as the stronger and superior race.
The scene goes on to show Nasima wearing an hijaab to see how she is represented. Throughout the scene Nasima is discriminated against because of the way she is dressed. The range of shot-reverse-shots connotes what is happening around her. There is no sound except little dialogue present during the scenes that she is wearing a hijaab which reinforces the theory as she is seen to be the ‘other’. This connotes to the audience that Nasima is felt discriminated against because of her religion. The scene raises debates and questions of how Muslims are represented due to the mainstream media and how the events of 9/11 have created a moral panic that all Muslims are evil and wrong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzTGicd7slI&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dbritz%26oq%3Dbritz%26aq%3Df%26aqi%3Dg4%26aql%3D%26gs_sm%3De%26gs_upl%3D2904l3339l0l3458l5l4l0l1l1l0l158l308l0.2l2l0&has_verified=1
In this scene of the Britz (36 minutes) the audience is being shown Sohail’s background and where he is originally from, Bradford. This scene is during the first part of the two part drama during Sohail’s story. Sohail is an young Muslim British student ambitious and university educated student. He desire to assimilate into every aspect of contemporary British culture sees him driven into the open arms of MI5 where his first assignment is to help track down a terrorist cell linked to the July 7th London bombers.
In this scene the enquiry leads him back to his own community in Bradford where no one, not even his closest friends is above suspicion. Throughout the scene the audience sees Sohail facing trouble trying to balance his work around his closest friend and trying not to arise suspicion. Throughout the whole scene we see the camera movement fixed on Sohail which connotes to the audience his emotions. The use of camera movement directs the audience’s attention. The camera movement is fixed upon Sohail as we see his every move leading him up to following his best friend. The audience see a range of mid-shots showing Sohail’s wrestling uniform which contrasts to how Sohail dresses in uniform when he is back in London working for the MI5. On the uniform arm there is the Union Jack flag printed and the words ‘Great Britain’ which shows he character and his nobility for the country which stays with him throughout the drama as Sohail is forced to question where his loyalties really lie, with the Pakistani community or with the country of his birth, England. The medium shots of the protagonist show him fighting against a white character, Muslim vs white foreshadows and connotes to the audience that something is bad is going to happen soon between the two races.
The scene moves to Sohail keeping his eyes on his close friend which he goes on to follow. The drama uses a range of shot – reverse –shots to show Sohails emotion while he is talking to his close friend. It also shows the conversation going on between the two friends and how it is affecting Sohail. As his close friend goes off to see two other Muslims guys it arises questions and trouble for Sohail. Sohail watches the three guys and tries to examine what they are saying. The scene is accompanied by diegetic sound which connotes that something sinister may be going on. Also the diegetic sound creates suspension as the audience and Sohail cannot hear what the three characters are talking about. However as the audience see Sohail’s reaction to this it connotes trouble and questions if his close friend has anything to do with terrorists.
The scene moves into the night which shows that something sinister and bad is about to happen. The dark red colour from the car lights and the diegetic sound of the car sirens connotes that trouble and danger is laying ahead for Sohail and his friends. As the gang of friends are arrested and locked up, the stereotypes of Muslims are portrayed. The Muslim characters are shown to be the ‘other’ in the scene and the white police officers are represented to be the superior race with the power within them. As Sohail is punched into his stomach and lowered down to the floor it connotes the white character is of higher status than he is. The Muslim character is then called a “paki –fuck” which connotes the racial trouble between the characters. It also portrayed issues and debates of post 9/11 and 7/7 of how the Muslim community is being treated and how Islamophobia is becoming a natural process in the media.
Britz - Nasima’s Story Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjK8Hr8VGJw&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dbrizt&has_verified=1
Part two of the drama follows the story of Nasima. Unlike her brother, Nasima is a medical student studying in Leeds and becomes deeply suspicious of the British estabailshement and spends much of her time campaigning against repressive government policies. The turning point is when her best friend kills herself after being abused while under arrest for innocently falling foul of the new anti-terror laws. The audience sees Nasima not only forced to question her liberal views, but he is left feeling angry at and estranged from the country of her birth.
In this scene the audience sees Nasima questioning her liberal believes in which Britain has given her the right to have. In this scene the audience sees the medical student challenging her religion and seeing the affects that are placed upon her. The camera movement follows the medical student in her steps and focuses on her and those affecting her. In the first 5 minutes of the scene the camera is fixed upon a shot reverse shot of the speaker speaking to the audience and Nasima. This connotes to the audience her response to what the male character is saying. Her sitting down while he is standing up shows that males are a superior race against women. As Nasima tries to equal the gender difference and puts her views across that Muslim women are ashamed in Islam and have no voice she is lowered down by the male speaker in which we see as the camera shows her eyes and head being lowered. Nasima is portrayed to be superior to everyone present at the meeting as she is not wearing an hjaab but the others behind her are. This scene reinforces the gender and ethnicity theory in which male is seen as the stronger and superior race.
The scene goes on to show Nasima wearing an hijaab to see how she is represented. Throughout the scene Nasima is discriminated against because of the way she is dressed. The range of shot-reverse-shots connotes what is happening around her. There is no sound except little dialogue present during the scenes that she is wearing a hijaab which reinforces the theory as she is seen to be the ‘other’. This connotes to the audience that Nasima is felt discriminated against because of her religion. The scene raises debates and questions of how Muslims are represented due to the mainstream media and how the events of 9/11 have created a moral panic that all Muslims are evil and wrong.
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