Muslim Narratives Still Centered on Terrorism & Extremism
Muslim Narratives Still Centered on Terrorism & Extremism
Across the qualitative analysis, there were several elements observed that point to a prevailing narrative in popular television series when it comes to Muslim characters. That focus was undeniably on terrorism and extremism. Muslim characters were most likely to have jobs as criminals (37.2%) and almost onethird (30.6%) of Muslims were shown as perpetrators of violence. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that popular series not only presented individual Muslim characters as linked to terrorism, but that storytellers actively created and disseminated entire storylines focused on terrorist activities.
The majority of Muslim characters in the sample appeared across three series in particular: Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Our Girl, and Next of Kin. The storylines in these programs all centered around issues of extremism or terrorism. These series told the story of a CIA analyst who uncovered a terrorist cell and the process of investigating the activities of the major players. Another centered on a British military unit training Nigerian forces to fight Boko Haram militants and rescue kidnapped girls. The final series revolved around the disruption experienced by a Pakistani family living in London when their lives intersected with the activities of a terrorist group in Pakistan.
In other words, whether told from the perspectives of U.S. or U.K. law enforcement or when centered on Muslim characters, storylines were
still linked inextricably to extremism. As we noted in our prior study on film, the continual emphasis on violence and extremism can have
profound negative consequences for Muslims. The justified violence against Muslims and the 22 presentation of this community as antagonistic to the West may serve to sanction real-world aggression towards Muslims. Evidence suggests that these factors may facilitate both learning of aggression as well as desensitization among viewers.31 Indeed, Muslims on screen were also likely to be shown as victims of violence. When Muslim characters died, they perished violently. Whether at a national level or in terms of interpersonal interactions, the continual representation of Muslims as violent and dangerous is one that can have devastating outcomes for individual Muslims both in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and
New Zealand, and to those living around the globe.
Across the qualitative analysis, there were several elements observed that point to a prevailing narrative in popular television series when it comes to Muslim characters. That focus was undeniably on terrorism and extremism. Muslim characters were most likely to have jobs as criminals (37.2%) and almost onethird (30.6%) of Muslims were shown as perpetrators of violence. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that popular series not only presented individual Muslim characters as linked to terrorism, but that storytellers actively created and disseminated entire storylines focused on terrorist activities.
The majority of Muslim characters in the sample appeared across three series in particular: Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Our Girl, and Next of Kin. The storylines in these programs all centered around issues of extremism or terrorism. These series told the story of a CIA analyst who uncovered a terrorist cell and the process of investigating the activities of the major players. Another centered on a British military unit training Nigerian forces to fight Boko Haram militants and rescue kidnapped girls. The final series revolved around the disruption experienced by a Pakistani family living in London when their lives intersected with the activities of a terrorist group in Pakistan.
In other words, whether told from the perspectives of U.S. or U.K. law enforcement or when centered on Muslim characters, storylines were
still linked inextricably to extremism. As we noted in our prior study on film, the continual emphasis on violence and extremism can have
profound negative consequences for Muslims. The justified violence against Muslims and the 22 presentation of this community as antagonistic to the West may serve to sanction real-world aggression towards Muslims. Evidence suggests that these factors may facilitate both learning of aggression as well as desensitization among viewers.31 Indeed, Muslims on screen were also likely to be shown as victims of violence. When Muslim characters died, they perished violently. Whether at a national level or in terms of interpersonal interactions, the continual representation of Muslims as violent and dangerous is one that can have devastating outcomes for individual Muslims both in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and
New Zealand, and to those living around the globe.
