A fear of misrepresentation and exotification of Muslims has sparked calls for Western filmmakers to halt projects about Islam and Muslims. Filmmakers such as Parvez Sharma and Ruhi Hamid, both cite the heightened interest in Islam post 9/11, and their frustration with stereotyped images, partial representations, and the lack of awareness of the complexities of religion for Muslims. Both Hamid and Sharma have dedicated themselves to representing Muslims and Islam in ways that are not usually known – the socio-cultural contexts of issues, sexuality, and the challenges of being gay and lesbian and practicing Muslims at the same time.
