Raise your hand if you grew up believing that you wanted to be Jasmine from Aladdin only to realize that this movie was perpetuating orientalist stereotypes of the Middle East and Asia.Keep your hand raised if you are exhausted with the idea that being Muslim and being accepted by society are mutually exclusive.Don't you think it's time that we deserve more accurate portrayals of Muslims in media?

If you've caught yourself holding your breath when you've seen a Muslim cross your television screens, you're not alone. You're silently hoping this Muslim character won't be portrayed as the villain, the terrorist or someone who is oppressed and needs to detach from their faith if they want to be accepted by others.

Frankly, we are tired of these dangerous tropes and stereotypes that have been overdone for decades now."Let Muslims tell you who we are, rather than telling you what we're not by constantly playing defense."

These are the words of Arij Mikati, today's special guest and someone whom I have been vocal about when it comes to how much I admire her and how many doors she has opened for herself and the rest of us as she continues to challenge these roadblocks and stereotypes.

Recently, Riz Ahmed, with the help from Pillars Fund, USC Annenberg and the Ford Foundation have unveiled the Blueprint for Muslim Inclusion in Media and the Arts.

Over 90% of films from 2017-2019 were missing Muslim characters, that's 181 out of 200 films that had no Muslim representation at all.

In today's episode, Arij explains how the erasure of Muslim filmmakers behind and in front of the camera means that countless of stories go untold. She dives into what representation actually means and why it's so important. We discuss how the lack of positive and accurate portrayals of Muslims is directly linked to horrific and Islamophobic attacks on our Muslim communities and so much more.

Arij and her peers are excited to announce what can be done to change the narrative and it all starts with the Muslim Visibility Challenge and the Pillars Artist Fellowship, just to name a few of the initiatives that are currently unfolding.

Thank you once again to Arij, Pillars Fund, Riz Ahmed and the many others who are working tirelessly on this initiative. I am so incredibly honored to have Arij join us today to discuss the building blocks of a brighter future for Muslim creatives.

Enjoy and follow the pod on Instagram:@unsweetenedandunfilteredFollow Arij Mikati  on Instagram:@arijmikatiFollow Pillars Fund on Instagram:@pillarsfundCheck out the Variety article here:Blueprint for Muslim Inclusion