Muslims around the world have learned to live with the biases of the world media. Portrayal of Muslim communities isn’t always the most honest. If the media ever does try to portray Muslims in a “good light”, it’s patronizing at best. American media has particularly been called out many a times for its cruel, stereotypical, even racist portrayal of Muslims in American movies and TV shows but with the number of times Muslims see themselves as the bad guy, it’s become something they just have to live with. So, it’s always interesting to see when another community is portrayed in a negative light and the aftermath of it all.
Priyanka Chopra’s American TV show, Quantico, recently caused a lot of controversy for allegedly showing Hindus as terrorists
Naturally, people within the Hindu community didn’t take it very well. There was intense backlash, particularly directed at Priyanka. Much of it coming from her home country, India.
Josh Safran, Quantico's showrunner, said that Major rule of Quantico is that it never features a Muslim terrorist. So, Is that why they featured Hindu Terrorist?
I think Priyanka Chopra could asked for script changes because She'd already changed some dialogues in Quantico before— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) June 8, 2018
#blockPriyankachopra immediate pic.twitter.com/UalBezfi7x
— ? #शिवा_जी(भगवा??) (@shivaji_1995) June 8, 2018
I think, we should just leave Priyanka Chopra alone now. There is one thing about people who don’t respect their origins, their success in the new territories is very short. They eventually lose the respect of both the worlds, it’s just a matter of time. So just let it be.
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) June 9, 2018
Following the backlash received, Priyanka apologized for the “negative portrayal” of Hindus in the show and the channel management also issued a statement in this regard.
I’m extremely saddened and sorry that some sentiments have been hurt by a recent episode of Quantico. That was not and would never be my intention. I sincerely apologise. I'm a proud Indian and that will never change.
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) June 9, 2018
“ABC Studios and the executive producers of Quantico would like to extend an apology to our audience who were offended by the most recent episode, ‘The Blood of Romeo’” the channel , ABC – owned by the Walt Disney Company – said in a statement issued to the media.
“The episode has stirred a lot of emotion, much of which is unfairly aimed at Priyanka Chopra, who didn’t create the show, nor does she write or direct it. She has no involvement in the casting of the show or the storylines depicted in the series.
“Quantico is a work of fiction. The show has featured antagonists of many different ethnicities and backgrounds, but in this case we inadvertently and regrettably stepped into a complex political issue. It was certainly not our intention to offend anyone.”
The apology came really quickly to avoid “offending” anyone and Fatima Bhutto, among others, was quick to point out how this move was rather hypocritical when nothing like this has ever been done when Muslims have made their sentiments clear about their negative portrayal in media
Ms. Bhutto, a Pakistani writer and activist, as you may recognize surely comes with a famous surname. She is the daughter of Murtaza Bhutto who was Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s son. She also happens to be the niece of Benazir Bhutto.
Super. We’ll be here waiting for an apology from Homeland, 24, Tyrant, Rambo, Zero Dark Thirty, American Sniper, Munich… https://t.co/f98FEiyWvl
— fatima bhutto (@fbhutto) June 9, 2018
And she did not just stop there
I suspect we'll have to wait a few more forevers for that
— fatima bhutto (@fbhutto) June 9, 2018
She has also been saying the same thing for many years now and has raised her voice on many platforms that she has been given
In a gathering last year at London’s Royal Institution she spoke up regarding the war-mongering and propaganda films that Hollywood has been trying to push forth for a very long time now.
People have been loving Ms. Bhutto for fearlessly calling out the American media and their often biased portrayal of Muslim people
They have been chiming in, sharing their views with Fatima Bhutto.
So #PriyankaChopra 's #Quantico is supposedly in a soup because it portrays "Hindus" as terrorists.
Welcome to the life of an average Muslim!
Almost on a daily basis we're asked to apologize, condemn, explain verses of the Quran with contexts & convince folks we're peaceful. pic.twitter.com/UPKXQcEay1— Zainab Sikander (@zainabsikander) June 5, 2018
Hm. Will US TV networks or Hollywood ever apologize for their often reductive depictions of Muslims and Islam? https://t.co/UStck9Rcnf
— Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) June 9, 2018
So if ABC has apologised for the Quantico kerfaffle, Bollywood will be apologising next week onwards- to the Muslims, for every Iqbal shown to be an underworld don to the Christians, for every Robert who was a smuggler and/ or an alcoholic
— Ajay Kamath (@ajay43) June 9, 2018
What do you think about this whole incident? Do you agree with Fatima Bhutto on this one?
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