I recently watched the trailer for the new French film ‘La Daronne’ or ‘Mama Weed’ with great disgust. There were three main issues I had when I watched the short clip:

1. The representation of the Muslim female protagonist.
2. The representation of North Africans are troublemakers, drug dealers and rebels.
3. An inaccurate and western representation of those who wear the Hijab.

The Muslim female protagonist was presented as deceitful and multi-faceted – a true reflection on the hypocrisies of the French lawmakers. As a Muslim female, who has been living in the west, I have not met or heard of a single person Muslim sister who could relate to the shameful acts in the trailer. This is not Muslim representation but rather blackening the image of Islam and believing Muslim females. And I want to direct these questions to the French producer, director and screenwriter. What was your purpose in presenting mypeople and the people of my religion in this way? Surely, they have no logical response! We don’t want the representation of those who don’t fear Allah and spread fitna and disarray!

Also, I wanted to add how much I was revolted by the representation of North Africans in the trailer. Was this an attempt to cover up the bloodshed of North Africans from French colonisation? Or an attempt to shift the blame elsewhere? Or a cover-up for the inhumane and the French looting of Muslim freedom in France? There is no justifiable excuse for the racism spewed in the film trailer.