Can you hear me?
The 2.35-minute long Can you hear me? was posted on YouTube on March 21 and within weeks it attracted more than 1,100 viewers.
“I think that’s a pretty good response,” said Shazia Javed, the film’s director and producer. “Most of Muslim women are currently in the news for making their choice of wearing. One of them was denied hearing in the court in Quebec because she was wearing a hijab. Now there have been talks of banning niqab during citizenship ceremonies.”
Javed comes from a filmmaking background in India and currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Film at York University.
She said the film simply raises awareness and sends out a message that, instead of hijab or niqab, people should focus more on what the person says and how she contributes as a valued member of the society.
“This narrow view suppresses a Muslim woman’s voice and devalues her contributions as a member of the society. We need to stop judging, shaming, or ignoring her based on her dress choices,” said Javed, who says the film, which stars actress Nawal Salim, has been viewed in more than 42 countries around the world.