Canadian Cinemas Should Not Stream Islamophobic Indian Film "Sooryavanshi" |
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December 5th, 2021
"Sooryavanshi,” an Islamophobic Indian propaganda movie, has recently been released in Canada. It is the latest in a series of films produced in India that seeks to condition Indian audiences to see Muslims and minorities as enemies of the nation.
This film is an example of othering religious and ethnic minorities, which suits the Hindutva-driven agenda of the current majoritarian government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Hindutva is a supremacist ideology that believes India should be a Hindu Nation. The ideology is the backbone of India’s current political party in power, the BJP, including several violent radical groups such as the RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal, and others.
The Washington Post published an opinion piece on this movie, and the New York Times also published a review; both articles outline the film’s outright stereotypes about Muslims in India and acknowledge that Sooryavanshi contributes to the climate of hate and discrimination faced by India’s 200 million Muslims. The common thread in both articles is the Islamophobic content of the movie.
India is the only country that has two genocide warnings issued against it by Genocide Watch. The Modi regime uses social media, television, and movies to propagate its harmful one-state narrative. This has had real-world consequences for India's Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Dalits. Lynchings, mob violence, and forced displacements are also becoming commonplace under state police impunity and government-imposed crimes against humanity.
"Canadian theatres and Netflix Canada should reject providing a platform for Indian propaganda movies such as Sooryavanshi, especially since it directly promotes the Islamophobic narrative of the Modi government," said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
“Canada is a multicultural society with multiple ethnic and religious communities thriving in social harmony. The government should safeguard Canadian values by rejecting hateful narratives pushed by fascist Hindutva groups continually working to disrupt communal harmony, not just in India, but in North America as well, which hosts a large Indian diaspora,” added Ghayyur.
Justice for All Canada encourages Canadian moviegoers to avoid obtaining tickets for Sooryavanshi and request friends and family to do the same. It’s crucial that Canada’s arts and culture platforms accurately portray situations of genocide and mass atrocities, while advocating for the global strengthening of human rights.
"Sooryavanshi,” an Islamophobic Indian propaganda movie, has recently been released in Canada. It is the latest in a series of films produced in India that seeks to condition Indian audiences to see Muslims and minorities as enemies of the nation.
This film is an example of othering religious and ethnic minorities, which suits the Hindutva-driven agenda of the current majoritarian government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Hindutva is a supremacist ideology that believes India should be a Hindu Nation. The ideology is the backbone of India’s current political party in power, the BJP, including several violent radical groups such as the RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal, and others.
The Washington Post published an opinion piece on this movie, and the New York Times also published a review; both articles outline the film’s outright stereotypes about Muslims in India and acknowledge that Sooryavanshi contributes to the climate of hate and discrimination faced by India’s 200 million Muslims. The common thread in both articles is the Islamophobic content of the movie.
India is the only country that has two genocide warnings issued against it by Genocide Watch. The Modi regime uses social media, television, and movies to propagate its harmful one-state narrative. This has had real-world consequences for India's Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Dalits. Lynchings, mob violence, and forced displacements are also becoming commonplace under state police impunity and government-imposed crimes against humanity.
"Canadian theatres and Netflix Canada should reject providing a platform for Indian propaganda movies such as Sooryavanshi, especially since it directly promotes the Islamophobic narrative of the Modi government," said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
“Canada is a multicultural society with multiple ethnic and religious communities thriving in social harmony. The government should safeguard Canadian values by rejecting hateful narratives pushed by fascist Hindutva groups continually working to disrupt communal harmony, not just in India, but in North America as well, which hosts a large Indian diaspora,” added Ghayyur.
Justice for All Canada encourages Canadian moviegoers to avoid obtaining tickets for Sooryavanshi and request friends and family to do the same. It’s crucial that Canada’s arts and culture platforms accurately portray situations of genocide and mass atrocities, while advocating for the global strengthening of human rights.