Syra Shehroz recently featured in a campaign initiated by a clothing brand in response to the reprehensible western American TV series ‘’ Homeland’. The poster of the campaign is an answer to the poster from season four of the series where the main character visits Pakistan.
The American TV series is based on America’s war on terrorism in the eastern part of the world including the Middle East and Afghanistan. The poster from season four shows a woman in a red scarf standing amid the clusters of women clad from top to bottom in Afghan-style ‘Burqas’. The poster endorses its central theme of portraying eastern culture as colourless.
The clothing brand designed a similar poster with Syra Shehroz dressed in colourful traditional attire surrounded by women covered in bright red veils.
The poster came out with a poem that addressed the western part of the world. It is also said the makers of the TV series confused the culture of Afghanistan with Pakistan. Hence the writer in his poem said, our ‘Homeland’ is not scary, brown and dusty. The writer added, our Homeland is a place where colour pops, people laugh and enjoy life.
The show bore heavy criticism across international media for inciting Islamophobia and promoting negative perceptions about Islamic culture and traditions.
Whereas, people on social media have hailed the campaign as a much-needed response to the gloomy portrayal of Pakistan in the fourth season of the show aired in 2014. Many, however, stated the response is considerably over time, but nevertheless fully supported the campaign.
