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