This week Apple TV tweeted the trailer to it’s new Apple Original film Hala, a coming of age story of a young Muslim girl. Hala has been written and directed by Minhal Baig and executive produced by Jada Pinkett Smith. The trailer shows a young Muslim girl, who wears a headscarf, navigating “2 parts divided” between her family and her wider life. Hala’s Mother doesn’t approve of her skateboarding and Hala is presented as “seeking to be understood”. In the trailer Hala is seen to be kissing a boy in the car, praying, talking to friends, disagreeing with her Mother in the background of navigating her identity.The full movie starts with a voiceover of an Arabic prayer, and cuts to Hala masturbating in the bathtub. 

Baig says “There were certain moments in the feature with Hala and her mom that are very much lifted from my own life, but then there’s other parts or people that are composites, ” in an interview to Refinery29.

here's a question: what if you write a story that speaks authentically to your reality, but also reinforces a negative trope about your community? is it a writer's responsibility to prioritize the context in which their work will be viewed over writing their truth?

— Saba Sulaiman (@agentsaba) November 6, 2019

Muslim Twitter instantly reacted to the trailer with a range of opinions. Given that there have been a number of shows that present a meek and identity seeking Muslim woman who then finds liberation and power in a white boy, there has been much critique of the two minute trailer. However, some have also spoken out and see such critique of the trailer as unfair, as elements of the storyline presented is a lived reality for some as well as a part of Baig’s own experience. Najma Sharif on twitter has called it a “pile on” stating that “I can’t join a pile on involving a Muslim woman because I’ve been on the other side of that shit and it’s not fun. Extend grace where you can and be mindful when you share your critiques about the things we create because we should be able to grow as creatives without fear.”

White, non-Muslim guys just aren’t that central to the lives of most Muslim girls and women. Why are there so many books and movies that keep insisting they are? Stop centering them in stories about us

— Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (@jtbigelow) November 6, 2019

Suhaiymah Manzoor Khan tweeted taking issue with the lack of range in stories being platformed, “fyi – the issue isnt that a story may be “true”, its a Q of y that partic story is the 1 platformed wen it bears tropes of so many weve heard b4… & wen there r no other stories platformed… in ideal world wed have 1000 diff stories so it cld exist w/o reinforcin violent tropes.” Manzoor-Khan alludes to it not being the work of Baig that could be seen as problematic in itself, but rather that there is only a single story presented when it comes to Muslim women. 

fyi – the issue isnt that a story may be "true", its a Q of y that partic story is the 1 platformed wen it bears tropes of so many weve heard b4… & wen there r no other stories platformed… in ideal world wed have 1000 diff stories so it cld exist w/o reinforcin violent tropes

— Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan (@thebrownhijabi) November 6, 2019

I can’t join a pile on involving a Muslim woman because I’ve been on the other side of that shit and it’s not fun. Extend grace where you can and be mindful when you share your critiques about the things we create because we should be able to grow as creatives without fear.

— Najma Sharif (@overdramatique) November 6, 2019

if it were up to Muslim Twitter, the movies about us would consist of a brown Muslim girls in proper hijab praying 5 times a day and giving charity lmfaooooo it'd be just that for an hour and a half.

— Najma Sharif (@overdramatique) November 6, 2019

we’re still doin this huh? fetishising muslim women and telling this story AGAIN? can we not. i’m bored. this shit don’t represent me. i did not and will not fall in love with a white boy at school and feel liberated when he kissed me. ffs. https://t.co/T0r4ykARjs

— mishti 🍭🍬 (@nasimabee) November 6, 2019

Im not even gonna retweet that Apple TV trailer! Reminds me of these tweets tho lmao !

Someone give me and my friends money and we will serve ourselves the screenplays we deserve!!! pic.twitter.com/Wg69zU91tF

— Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan (@thebrownhijabi) November 6, 2019

this is the exact same plot as the last 10 movies/series with a hijabi lead. my theory is that they're all funded by some white dude who searches up hijabi porn behind closed doors https://t.co/wmEe9DiQQl

— Ali Al-Hadhrami (@GuyFromTheArea) November 5, 2019

A film about a Muslim girl leading a double life for a white boy? pic.twitter.com/R65AQp5QIL https://t.co/MBkFUiiw60

— Amina 👩🏽‍💻 (@yeahshewrites) November 5, 2019

Here comes yet another film about the poor brown Muslim woman who only finds happiness through the white man’s gaze because God forbid her faith & culture play any role other than giving her parents accents and a life she feels stuck in. FIRE EVERYONE AND BRING ON THE HOT TAKES https://t.co/919XSJABez

— Rowaida Abdelaziz (@Rowaida_Abdel) November 5, 2019

White, non-Muslim guys just aren’t that central to the lives of most Muslim girls and women. Why are there so many books and movies that keep insisting they are? Stop centering them in stories about us

— Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (@jtbigelow) November 6, 2019

pic.twitter.com/ERndV5prb8

— Sohaib Saeed د. صهيب (@tafsirdoctor) November 5, 2019

Anddd another one. How many pitiful movies and shows do we need abt Muslim women struggling w Islam just for a random non Muslim white boy?? Dear Hollywood, no agenda against God in favor of non Muslim white men will prosper! Pls end this madness.https://t.co/ZYHcTmTQpp

— eemi (@eemanabbasi) November 5, 2019

Oh wow another TV show presenting Muslim girls to lead double lives because they're secretly in love with white men.

For once…will y'all make a show about a Muslim who has a healthy relationship with her parents and isn't doing backflips for white love bc we're tired😭 https://t.co/SouAEzkyF9

— first graduate in my family yay (@rollajabi) November 5, 2019

I’m actually sick and tired of this ish. That’s it I’m gonna start a vlog channel. Everything that’s supposed to be “representative” or “inclusive” is some bs like this. This is actually just as problematic, the only time you can empathise with a Muslim girl is hates her identity https://t.co/jpoW54ybfR

— Tobias- inconspicuous black person (@Whytrustme) November 6, 2019

When do we get movies about these Muslim women?? https://t.co/kC9jhRqucE

— Ruby Zaidi (@Ruby2805) November 6, 2019

This. Because wearing this hijab is me telling the world I ain't proving anything to anyone. It is a statement that tells everyone I do not need external validation if any kind, that includes the victimizing kind.

I am not a fetish for a colonial world. https://t.co/4SGOXH4To9

— Rukhsana Sukhan (@RukhsanaSukhan) November 6, 2019

Instead of making a movie about a white guy who frees a Muslim girl from hijab, make a movie about a proud Muslim girl who smacks a white guy for crossing the line.

*of course the smack is with a glove to avoid contact with non-Mahram#HalaMovie

— Shaykh Azhar Nasser (@ShaykhAzhar) November 6, 2019

So many Muslim creatives complaining about how all Muslim “representation” on screen has fixated on Muslims (of color) dating white people are in relationships with white people. pic.twitter.com/2UD84AMBA3

— Najma Sharif (@overdramatique) November 6, 2019