Being Muslim in Hollywood Best known for his roles in "Iron Man" and "Star Trek," Faran Tahir has encountered several occasions where he turned down a role because he felt the script was lopsided and portrayed one-dimensional characters. “Whether it is a Muslim character or not, if it is pushing stereotypes, then I tell my agent that it is not for me,” Tahir said. “I do not have an agenda except for encouraging a constructive dialog. If we indulge in combative dialog, that’s when the walls start going up.” He just wants to plant a seed in the director’s mind, hoping it might later germinate into something better. Fasting has hardly ever proven to be a conflict with his work. He reminisces about a time when he was working in the theater and the stage manager set an alarm so that they could break when it was time for iftar and Tahir could have something to eat. He prays in his trailer as regularly as his schedule permits and finds lots of opportunities to talk about Pakistan or Islam. However, he is conscious to listen to others in a dialog as well and tries to take out the time to learn about other religions, too.
Nuggets of Advice from Seasoned Muslim Professionals
Faisal Masood works at a major financial institution in New York.
employer] welcomes diversity and does not tolerate stereotyping,” Masood said. “My team members are very considerate. During Ramadan, they do not even bring in their coffee and bagels with them to our Thursday morning staff meetings.” He feels that, at times, some companies may not provide prayer space or make other accommodations simply because no one has ever asked.
What about him? Another challenge Muslims may face in the workplace is representing Islam when people that look and sound like you act differently. Mehrunisa Qayyum worked for several years in the U.S. Senate and House Government Accountability Office before becoming
a freelance consultant and blogger (www. pitapolicy.com). She meets people of all faiths through speaking engagements and networking events and is careful not to blanket all Muslims together and make sweeping statements. “It’s more of a tight line to walk when someone asks you why you do not drink when they know other Muslims that do,” Qayyum says. “I just say that not drinking is my choice and I am no one to judge others.” Even though there was a meditation room in the Government Accountability Office, Qayyum preferred to pray in her cubicle. “Ironically, a Turkish co-worker who admitted to no longer practicing Islam himself brought me a prayer rug as a gift
Islamic Horizons January/February 2012
1. Do not lose your identity in an effort to please everyone. 2. Try to be a walking Quran so that you exemplify the character of the Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam); you do not need to preach. 3. Document everything—good or bad. It helps tremendously when you apply for awards or are up for a promotion. You need to prove that you are a qualified candidate because of your intellect, not because you are a minority. 4. In this era where news spreads by the nanosecond, do not say or post anything on social media accounts that can haunt you later. 5. Accept that there are variations in how people practice their faith—even within a faith. 6. Maintain relationships that you have taken time to establish with people, even if you may not work/study with them any longer. 7. Never think that volunteering at your mosque or another organization will take away from your career; in fact, it can add significantly to your personality development and add blessings in your work performance. 8. Engage in a constructive, non-combative dialog. 9. Don’t judge and don’t be judged. Be an equal partner in creating your image. Don’t let others do it for you. 39