Mehwish Hayat has lauded British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed for his initiative towards a better portrayal of Muslims in Hollywood.

“The issue of misrepresentation of Muslims and how it is fuelling Islamophobia is a poignant one for me,” Mehwish tweeted.

“So glad to see Rizwan Ahmed taking positive action.”

The issue of misrepresentation of Muslims and how it is fuelling Islamophobia is a poignant one for me. So glad to see @rizwanahmed taking positive action. A real watershed moment. Cont. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/1QdW74dbjJ

— Mehwish Hayat TI (@MehwishHayat) June 14, 2021

The actor shared clips from a 2019 Oslo conference, where she talked about how Bollywood shows Muslims as villains in most films.

“I understand that given our history, our upbringing, and the politics of the region it is difficult to be neutral,” Mehwish had said.

Artists would have to see beyond nationalism, if they wanted to ensure peace for future generations, the actor had said. 

Mehwish has now called for the industry to counter the way Muslims are depicted in Hollywood and Bollywood.

“We need films ‘about’ and not just ‘for’ Pakistan,” she remarked.

2/2 .. Time for our industry to step up and also counter the way that we are shown in Hollywood and Bollywood. We need films ‘about’ and not just ‘for’ Pakistan. Something I advocated in Oslo in 2019. pic.twitter.com/kU3bQWQICK

— Mehwish Hayat TI (@MehwishHayat) June 14, 2021

Riz received praise from fans and celebrities alike after announcing last week a grant for Muslim filmmakers.

The $25,000 fellowships are aimed at improving Muslim representation in Hollywood.

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