While Islamophobia may be a big problem in many Western countries, Muslims and hijabis have managed to make some significant cultural strides in the past few years.
A Muslim – Mahershala Ali – even won the Best Actor award at the Oscars earlier this year for the first time ever. At the same time, hijabi and modest fashion is all the rage with top fashion brands, while hijabi models are making it big in the global fashion arena.
When it comes to Western television series, Muslim women are taking center-stage, appearing on major cooking and fashion reality TV competitions. Hijabi characters are also starting to appear in leading roles on many popular Western television dramas.
Here's a look at some of these television dramas featuring hijabi characters.
1. Orange is the New Black (U.S.)
The immensely popular Netflix series began featuring a hijabi character in its fourth season. Alison Abdullah, played by Amanda Stephen, is a smart and sensible inmate at the Litchfield Penitentiary.
Her role on the show subtly highlights the reality of Muslim women and the unique challenges they face in American society.
2. Degrassi (Canada)
The Canadian high-school drama features the hijabi character Goldi Nahir, played by Soma Bhatia. Nahir is portrayed as a student leader and a passionate feminist.
Her character depicts her as a normal student, that also happens to be Muslim. She participates in sports and student politics, while also being at the forefront of several activist movements.
3. Skam (Norway)
Sana Bakkoush, played by Iman Meskini, is a character on the popular Norwegian teen drama Skam. She appears in the first, second and third seasons of the series.
Bakkoush hangs out and attends parties with her classmates in the series, while also having previously won medals in basketball.
4. The Bold Type (U.S.)
Launched earlier this year, The Bold Type features a hijabi character.
But, as the Muslim character – played by Canadian-Iranian actress Nikohl Boosheri – is also a Lesbian feminist, the show got some hate on social media. Some called the portrayal "offensive" to Islam. Others thought it was progressive, bold and barrier-breaking.
5. Quantico (U.S.)
Qantico features Yasmine Al Massri, a Lebanese-born actress, playing twin sisters. One wears hijab, the other does not.
Nimah and Raina Amin work for the FBI in the series and have been praised for being strong, well-rounded female Muslim characters.
6. Mr. Robot (U.S.)
Sunita Mani plays Shama Biswas aka Trenton in the popular series, which also stars Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek.
In the beginning of the show, Trenton wears hijab as she lives with her Iranian immigrant parents in Brooklyn. However, she eventually runs away from home, fearing for her own safety because of her involvement with the hacking group Fsociety.
She is later seen living in Arizona, headscarf removed.
7. Homeland (U.S.)
British-American-Iranian actress Nazanin Boniadi plays Fara Sherazi in season 3 and 4 of the controversial American TV series Homeland.
Although the show has often been criticized for its poor portrayal of Muslims and Arabs, as well as for its misrepresentation of countries such as Lebanon, Pakistan and Iran, Boniadi wanted to bring a more nuanced portrayal of Muslim women to her role.
Working as a hijabi analyst for the CIA, Sherazi deals with everyday prejudice in the series, something rarely seen on a mainstream television.
8. Little Mosque on the Prairie (Canada)
Of course, it's no surprise that this Canadian drama about a small town Muslim community features several hijab wearing characters.
The 2007 series centers around the small Muslim community in the fictional town of Mercy, Saskatchewan. One of the principle characters, who wears hijab, is Fatima Dinssa, who runs a local cafe. Main characters Rayyan Hamoudi also wears the headscarf in the series.
9. The Walking Dead (U.S.)
Fans lauded The Walking Dead producers when they cast actress Nadine Marissa as a hijab-wearing Muslim character in an episode of its most recent season.
Nabila, the hijabi character, appears twice during the episode. She shares her screen time with King Ezekiel (Khary Payton) at the Kingdom.
10. Grey's Anatomy (U.S.)
In episode 18 (season 13) - not one, but two hijabis make an appearance on the popular TV series Grey's Anatomy, playing the roles of doctors and nurses.
The episode "Be Still, My Soul" was directed by the show's very own Ellen Pompeo (Meredith). She revealed on Twitter that it was very intentional on her part to have hijabi representation on screen.