Cinephilia confronts Islamophobia
Photo: Birds of War, showing at the Muslim International Film Festival in London, documents the love story of a London-based Lebanese journalist and a Syrian activist/cameraman as told through 13 years of personal archives across revolutions, war and exile.
Daniel Nelson
The director of the second Muslim International Film Festival believes cinema can help combat the growth of anti-Muslim hostility, but he’s worried about the future.
“We are going through a really difficult time right now. We have seen the rightwing riots, we have seen the attacks in Ireland, seen the way the media reports certain incidents,” says Sajid Varda, who was awarded an MBE in the 2026 New Years Honours List for his services to Diversity and Inclusion in the Film and Television Industry.
‘We have seen the way politicians are rabble-rousing, causing friction amongst communities. They are perpetuating this whole immigrant narrative, promoting xenophobia and Islamophobia.”
He fears worse may come:”“We find ourselves in a very challenging position, which makes us think, ‘Do we really belong here, and are valued, even if you are born and raised here, as I am?”
Grimmer still, Varda raises the possibility, “perhaps with tongue in cheek but also with some concern”, that “in 10 or 15 years they fire up the gas chambers for Muslims.”
In the face of such terrors, it is unsurprising that the theme of the festival is “centred around defiance, plus the ties that hold us together.”
Film is about “a shared humanity. Our strapline is Discovering Worlds and Changing Perspectives. That’s what great cinemas does, especially in a time when people are encouraged to retreat into their bubbles.”
The perspective that needs changing is the stereotyping of Muslim film roles and stories: “We are a 2 million strong community but mainstream cinema has reduced that diversity to a handful of stereotypers: terrorists, misogynists, oppressed women, and as a threat to the West.
“Seldom we are seen as ordinary human beings just rubbing along,, points out Varda.
But he emphasises that the solution “is not to tell audiences what to think, but to get them to engage. Cinema is very impactful. Films remind us that our shared humanity is bigger than our differences.”
That means films have to be interesting, fun, entertaining. Horror, for example. It sells, says Varda, and “is becoming a feature in the Muslim world,” particularly In Indonesia, “and we have a very good Algerian horror in the festival.”
Storytelling has always been part of Islam, Varda says, and there has been extraordinary Muslim cinema for years - “ but global audiences are just discovering it.”
Muslim International Film Festival, films from UK, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Algeria and Palestine + shorts, industry events and awards, Odeon Luxe West End until 5 July. Info: www.TheMiff.net