Have you ever sat down with your kids and watched a film made for children
and thought... wait, I thought this was a children's movie.
I don't think it comes as a surprise to many of us Muslims
that children's films aren't really made for children anymore
or even adults for that matter.
– Whaaaat! Okay, fine, fine. I'm cool, I'm fine.
– Films that depict the princess dancing with the strange man she just met,
a princess mermaid sacrificing her voice to be with a strange man she just met,
a cursed princess that can only be woken up from her slumber by a strange man she never met,
a princess trapped in a castle and falls in love with a strange man she just met,
a princess who turns into a frog after kissing a frog she just met.
Something about these movies sounds familiar.
– I got it. I got the concept.
– Although some have praised Disney and other animation studios for being progressive
by making female characters independent, they still exist the issue of female depiction.
Take for example "Frozen".
One of the most recent and most successful movies Disney has ever made.
Elsa, the free and independent princess caught attention and praise because her journey of empowerment
wasn't reliant upon a man or any love interest.
At the beginning of the movie, her dress and demeanor was relatively conservative,
however when she embarks on her journey, she empowers herself by singing a song
and removing her conservative clothing to a more revealing attire.
The issue at hand is that the filmmakers see it fit to associate empowerment to a beautified and sexualized character.
Now look, Disney is free to make whatever movies they see fit.
I'm pretty sure that they think that they're doing the good thing by empowering females.
That's fine, if this is how Disney makes their money then so be it.
– No substitution, exchange or refund.
– It also comes as no surprise considering the liberal ideals
that Disney produces content to cater towards.
However as a Muslim I feel like we should understand the harmful impacts of such stories
and instead teach our children what is and isn't accepted in Islam.
For instance, a society becomes increasingly liberated in their sexual values
we can see an increase in suggestive content relative to only a decade ago.
Where films in the past would have at most one or two suggestive scenes,
films today are raising the bar with the amounts of suggestive innuendo that is allowed for a pg-rated film.
Right now we are seeing more and more depictions of an Islamic relationships in children's movies.
However, it is also not a surprise to say that this has led to the advocacy of extreme sexual practices,
even by societal standards, such as incestuous relationships as seen in mainstream television shows and films
which often and eventually will seep down to children's films.
Parents are guardians of their homes, controlling what comes in and out.
So why do they not apply the same filtration and censorship to their screens where the most harm can be dealt?
Parents should take the initiative to teach their children
about what runs in opposition to Islamic beliefs and harms the iman.
Muslims should teach their children the importance of being mindful to what they watch
and to lower their gaze.
Parents should be playing a proactive role in what their children watch.
They need to research and review the content before allowing it to be watched in their homes.
However these are just short-term goals that can only do enough to counter harmful viewing.
Rather, as Muslims, it is essential that we don't just point out what is and isn't haram,
because children can easily access anything at any time.
It is incumbent on us as Muslims to create an alternative halal solution.
We should be at the forefront of creativity in the media.
We should be diligent in creating an Islamic atmosphere in our homes.
An atmosphere that nurtures Islamic principles and values in the hearts of our children.
An atmosphere that promotes our children not through individualism, but through Islam.
May Allah protect our children from all harm and guide them to the right path. Ameen.
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