July 12, 2018

As the first Muslim hero in a recurring for-television role, Tahar Rahim of Hulu’s The Looming Tower is one groundbreaking example of a 2018 Emmy nomination snub.

While the 2018 Emmy Nominations set a new record of inclusion for performers from diverse backgrounds, I was in disbelief as representatives from other communities were left out of the spotlight altogether. Hulu’s The Looming Tower received a few nods, yet was snubbed in two major categories - Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. The Looming Tower centers around the dysfunctional conflict between the FBI and CIA during the lead-up to 9/11, and actor Tahar Rahim’s powerful portrayal of real-life Lebanese-American FBI agent Ali Soufan is breathtaking. We have never seen a Muslim hero in a recurring role on television before, and hoped that his brilliant performance would be recognized.

Showtime’s The Chi, creator Lena Waithe, and actor Common, who beautifully portrays Imam Rafiq on the series about the South Side of Chicago, went surprisingly unacknowledged. And it wasn’t just Muslim characters or storylines that were left out. Freddie Highmore’s phenomenal portrayal of Shaun Murphy, a surgeon with autism on The Good Doctor, the highest-rated new network drama, was ignored as well. I am perplexed as to why these incredible actors and projects weren’t nominated for their brilliant achievements.

That said, it is encouraging that the needle is moving, and there are amazing new shows in production featuring characters from a range of marginalized communities, characters that need to be known and recognized by mainstream audiences. Television has the power to connect viewers virtually with people that look like “the rest of us”, and those personal connections are what create understanding and appreciation of each other in a country that has never been more divided. This is why we will continue to work with the industry to create more authentic portrayals of our communities.

Sue Obeidi
Hollywood Bureau Director
sue@mpac.org  |  Twitter: @sueobeidi

The Muslim Public Affairs Council’s Hollywood Bureau changes the narrative of Islam and Muslims in the entertainment industry so that audiences see Muslims as vital contributors to creating social and cultural change in America and around the world. Sue Obeidi’s three most recent op-eds were published in Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Wrap, and our consulting credits include projects with The Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Studios, Warner Bros. Studios, Participant Media, Disney/ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, FX, the CW, Nickelodeon, Hulu, Amazon Studios, NatGeo, BBC1, and The Sundance Institute.

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