Why I Decided My Main Character Should Be a Religious Minority IN the Middle-East

Whew, this isn't a problem post (A quick stop from my nagging)!

Rather, it's more of an explanation post of including a character that seems to challenge the representation trope of people in the Middle East. Introducing Rafka, I wanted to mix things around and choose a figure that is a minority in the Middle-East. The reason for this was the fact that I wanted to show the perspectives of Christians living in the Middle-East. This decision is by no intent to undermine Muslims and their own cultures and traditions. I solely wanted to provide a wider platform of the way Christians also live and what they practice that seems to contrast the practice of Christians in the United States to mark deeper cleavages with Rafka's problem and overall inner and outer conflict. With this, it gives me a larger scope and inclusion of a minority religious and ethnic group in the area. What is interesting to point out is that every year, Christians are leaving by huge numbers the Middle East. It is easy for someone to say that the reason is religious persecution by Muslims, which is quite a faulty assumption as an Economist article points out that even "Most victims of war and terrorism in the Middle East are Muslims since they are by far the majority of the population." But, on the same note, what is quite clear is that Middle Eastern Christians are declining. It is astonishing to regard that in 1910, around 14 percent of Christians lived in the Middle East, which is still a minute number. But that fraction has dropped recently to only 4%. So Rafka's reason for leaving her mother country is apparent as she is the reflection of many Christians fleeing because of fear of persecution, religious ties with the West, and simply due to economic despair.

Percentage of Christians in the Middle East (BBC)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the purpose of Rafka's origins being from Lebanon is due to it being the only country in the area that more than forty percent of their population are Christians. However, the film opening that I am creating is not necessarily centered around the main character's religion, but it plays an important factor in her realization of her future endeavors as well as retaining her rich roots. Additionally, it is seldom mentioned a Christian when studying Middle-Eastern filmography. I want to improve that by including a woman as well as a Christian. Recently, the Middle-East has done an astounding job in film and many film directors have won recognitions and awards for the representation of women. Where Do We Go Now is the epitome of this, casting a woman as the lead in the film as well as the catalyst within war and peace in a delicate situation such as the tension between a Christian and Muslim community. For this reason, it won Best Picture in the Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Audience Award.

All in all, yippee for Middle Eastern filming and representing women these past years! But just as important, representing a minority group such as Christians in the Middle-East seems like an important task to point out in my film that can break many stereotypes and notions of Middle-Easterners in general.

And then there were none. (2016, January 02). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21684795-fed-up-and-fearful-christians-are-leaving-middle-east-and-then-there-were

Guide: Christians in the Middle East - BBC News. (2011, October 11). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-15239529