Opinion

In Marquis ‘Othello’ Performance, Faran Tahir Humanizes Islam, Helps Bridge West and Muslim World
By Patrick Burnett
American University School of International Service
Washington, DC

Just recently, our world was once again rocked by major terrorist attacks aiming to further divide the Abrahamic faiths. ISIS supporters in Brussels killed 35 in a major attack on the city’s core infrastructure and an offshoot of the Taliban killed more than 70 in an attack targeting Lahore’s Christian minority. In the West, many continue to be leery of Muslim minorities, whereas in the Muslim world, Christian minorities are suffering extreme persecution. Such violence among the Abrahamic faiths does not have to be the new norm for our world. Perhaps the answer to bringing the faiths closer together lies in a classic play from centuries fore.

On March 18, I had the distinct honor of joining Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, for a marquis performance of Shakespeare’s Othello. This was not a standard community theater production, but rather a cutting edge re-imagination of the play featuring for the first time a Muslim Pakistani-American actor, Faran Tahir, as Othello. Produced by the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, DC, whose artistic director Michael Kahn was named Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in April 2013 for his distinguished service to the arts and culture, this production brings audience members face-to-face with the great Muslim stereotypes of our era and humanizes a faith that is oft-misunderstood.

The evening began with a pre-show panel featuring Ahmed and Tahir alongside Pakistani journalist Raza Rumi and communications consultant Rouane Itani, and was moderated by Al-Jazeera English’s Malika Bilal. This reflective panel brought key issues about the role of religion in human behavior to the fore, while also addressing the role Muslims play in the arts and culture.

A core theme of Othello is the universal tragedy of being human - an experience that transcends religious lines. And as Tahir discussed on the panel, it is important to consider every one of Othello’s very human actions and how they compare to stereotypes of Islam and Muslims. While in this production, Othello openly prays before murdering his wife, Desdemona - an act committed in a jealous rage blinding Othello of his full faculties - he also displays Qur’anic forgiveness to Iona by sparing him his life upon learning of his deep betrayal. This act of forgiveness is often overlooked by those trying to find the bad in the Muslim character. Othello does not commit these acts because he is Muslim, but rather because he is human. This episode, as Tahir explains, reminds us how we are often so quick to assign the negative to the “other” while overlooking their positive actions, which quickly dehumanizes them.

Ahmed reflected upon history to continue this important discussion. One key example, as his research for Journey into Europe (film 2015; book forthcoming Brookings Press) finds, Caliph Al-Hakam I of Cordoba, when his palace was invaded in the 700s, responded to the invading mob by saying that the same Qur’an that guided the mob to attack him will guide him to forgive and grant them mercy. Both Tahir’s Othello and this great historical narrative remind us that religion, just like all human institutions, can be co-opted for both good and evil. Far too often, Islam and Muslims are either cast as inherently evil or wholly peaceful - neither portrayal allowing Muslims their full humanity. Othello serves to remind that Muslims are as human as anyone else.

This production of Othello also reflects the great role Muslims have played in Western arts more broadly. As Ahmed explained, a number of great Western classics have placed Muslims in leading roles. The acclaimed film Lawrence of Arabia, for instance, featured a leading Muslim, played by Omar Sharif, as a top supporting character. And the protagonist of E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India is a Muslim Indian. Tahir’s Othello at its core reinvigorates this great legacy in Western art. Furthermore, one must consider the roots of the play themselves. Originally, Shakespeare left it ambiguous as to the culture of the “Moor,” Othello. However, Shakespeare scholars argue the character was likely inspired by a Moroccan diplomat’s visit to Queen Elizabeth’s court in 1600 - well before England’s grand colonial pursuits began. As such, it is likely a Muslim leader inspired the writing of one of Shakespeare’s arguably top three plays - no small feat in Western culture.

Tahir’s performance also redefines the Muslim role in contemporary Western art. In recent years, many Muslims have simply been portrayed as terrorists and enemies of the West. For instance, one of Tahir’s most prominent prior roles was as the lead terrorist in the hit film Iron Man (2008) - a role that only cast the Muslim character in light of his terrorist actions. Iron Man is hardly alone in portraying Muslims only as terrorists. In pushing back against this dangerous trend, Othello actually accentuates the humanity of a leading Muslim figure in the West. While not all of Othello’s actions are humane or moral, this production makes clear that these actions have nothing to do with Othello’s faith, but rather his very human flaws. Versus the standard Hollywood terrorist, Tahir’s Othello is as human as any one of us.

Tahir’s performance as Othello also demonstrated artistic genius, going above and beyond the call of duty and becoming one of the most inspiring portrayals of the play to date. Ahmed, who had the privilege of seeing Sir Laurence Olivier perform Othello in 1964 in the UK, remarked, “In Olivier’s 1964 performance, Olivier played Olivier. He was always a big presence on stage. Yet, in this performance, Faran played Othello. By the end of play, he was just dominating the stage.” Outperforming Olivier in any production is no small feat, but doing so in a top Shakespeare play in one of the top Shakespeare theaters in America proves true talent. Few actors can perform this role in such a captivating manner, to the point of bringing the entire theater to pin-drop silence as they await Othello’s next move - a classic plot otherwise without surprise for many. Tahir’s great performance should be celebrated not just by Muslim Americans, but by Americans of all stripes.

Following the play, Ahmed, his son, Umar Ahmed, and I were treated to Tahir’s great warmth and hospitality. After making arrangements with the house manager to meet Tahir following the show, we waited for him to meet us in the green room. Yet, Tahir was instead waiting in the main lobby - surrounded by a number of admirers - to ensure he met with Ahmed. For such a leading actor to take time out of his busy evening to willingly meet with Ahmed and our entire group shows the character and warmth of this prominent Muslim-American. In an era where Muslims are too frequently cast as antagonistic to American culture, one cannot overlook Tahir’s welcoming personality.

Tahir’s outstanding performance of Othello is Muslim inclusion into the Western fabric at its finest. His work is a huge turning point for the prominence of not just Pakistanis, but Muslims in the West in general. On par with Malala Yousafzai’s winning the Nobel Peace Prize and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy winning two Oscars for her documentary work (2012 and 2016), Tahir further proves that Muslims, rather than clashing with Western civilization, contribute in great ways to our American and Western fabric.

As we continue to face horrific acts of terror against Christians and Muslims alike around the globe, we must all continue to step back and reflect on the humanity of the “other” in order to push back against such violence. Tahir’s genius is in pushing back against Islamophobia and interfaith violence through some of the finest tools of Western civilization - our great classics.

(Patrick Burnett, a 2015 graduate of the American University School of International Service in Washington, DC, is program coordinator for Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, who holds the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University)