Secular Imagery

Secular imagery is a new wave of representation that's found home in both cinema and television, making it the an rising trend of misrepresentation. Secularism is the concept of not being religious or connected to any religious organisations.

مصور

Distorted Practices

Distorted
Practices

Netflix's 'Why Are You Like This' | Season 1 Episode 5 "The Infinite Mercy of God"

In this section we will be analysing cultural practices of Islam are being distorted to fit a more 'secular' narrative.

In season 1 episode 5 of the Netflix series 'Why Are You Like This?' there is a scene that portrays a dialogue between a young Muslim boy and girl. In it, they are discussing about fasting during the month of Ramadan which is historically a holy month for Islam where the practice is to fast from dusk till dawn, a practice to remind Muslims of the less fortunate and to be thankful. In this scene, the boy talks about his passiveness towards fasting. Meanwhile, the girl breaks her fast with a tequila shot. In Islam, alcohol is not allowed.

بسم الله

The distortion of this sacred practice is further emphasize in the use of the term 'Bismillah' which loosely translates to "In the name of God". An assumption can be made that the produces could possibly had wanted to ridicule Islam, though this can only be an assumption.

Bismillah
/bɪsˈmɪlə/

exclamation

in the name of God (an invocation used by Muslims at the beginning of an undertaking).

Empowerment in
'Liberation'

Netflix's 'ELITE' | Season 2

Similarly in the Netflix series, ELITE, a Muslim girl who wears the hijab and comes from a conservative family, gradually starts to stray from her Islam as she starts to grow a liking to a school mate, who is Christian and a caucasian white boy.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا ٱلْخَمْرُ وَٱلْمَيْسِرُ وَٱلْأَنصَابُ وَٱلْأَزْلَـٰمُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ فَٱجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

In contrast to the Muslim girl's empowered 'liberation' by removing her hijab, she is then confront by her religious mother who reprimands her for her actions. This stark comparison between the two perpetuates a subtext of Islam being oppressed and intolerant: evident where the mother is visibly upset by the actions of her daughter for consuming alcohol. This message is further highlight by her friend who steps in and minimizes the severity of what she has done by saying "it's not big deal if she had one drink, right? Does that make her a terrorist?' This insinuation suggesting Islam beliefs are extreme.

Before she is driven to remove her hijab, she encounters an interaction with a friend who is liberal in the sense that she is promiscuous, a embodiment of the parallel person the Muslim girl is. In this interaction, she is confronted about her hijab. "So you're free to wear a veil, but i can't take my clothes off?" suggesting that veiled woman are judgmental and oppressed, which is riddled with negative connotations. The girl goes on to mock how the Muslim girl has "come to save my soul".