After Mia Sara's lamentation about producers who are still requesting her to take off her hijab for a TV or movie role, director Rahila Ali recently expressed her sympathies for the young star.
The "Ada Apa Dengan Dosa" director, who spoke to the media regarding the issue, stated that production companies should have been more aware and sensitive of one's religious stance, and that such a thing should not even be happening in a Muslim country like Malaysia.
"I am used to filming my dramas abroad and even foreigners knew how to show respect to Muslims. It's strange to me that some Malaysians couldn't even show the same respect to Mia. Please respect her decision. This should not be happening. As a director, I would always try my best to ensure that hijab-wearing actresses are taken care of so not to show parts of their bodies that they covered," she said.
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| Rahila Ali with PU Riz |
Rahila added that there is a simple answer to problems like characters that are required not to wear a hijab - just find actresses that don’t.
"I respect Mia's decision to reject roles that requires her to take off her hijab. She may be young, but she's smart. There are many roles for hijabis, so I don't think that there would be much issue. There is no reason for any actresses to not wear hijab because they're afraid that there will be no work. Believe in God's blessings," she added.
Rahila said that there are currently multiple projects with Islamic content on television, adding that she herself had just shot a drama for TV Alhijrah.
"As a scriptwriter, you have to suit your story for hijabis. It should not be an issue for hijab-wearing actresses now," she added.
Among the actresses who are now wearing hijab include Hannah Delisha, Zara Zya, Mawar Rashid and Sharifah Shahirah. Meanwhile, there are also actresses like Mira Filzah who started her career as a hijabi and was one of the most sought-after actresses in the 2010s.
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| Mira Filzah made a name for herself being a hijabi actress from the start of her career |