Muslims, Media, Machines: Countering Narrative And Algorithmic Injustice Through Community-Led Storytelling

Throughout the past 50 years in entertainment arts, Muslims have been othered, flattened from diverse communities to static characters, and linked to hostility, terrorism, and oppression. North American films and video games place Muslims in war zones, constructing them as mythical characters that must be virtually killed, thus propelling stereotypes and Islamophobia. Juxtaposing this are constructions of Muslims, especially Muslim women and girls, as helpless. In parallel, these stereotypes are replicated and amplified through machine learning and social media algorithms. Recent research shows that algorithms are also hallucinating new forms of violence. Large language models (LLMs), often employed by artificial intelligence (AI) and social media algorithms, display strong associations between Muslims and violence. This project explores ways to counter narrative and algorithmic injustice towards Muslims in digital media through community-led engagement and action. Through a series of participatory and co-creation workshops and engagements, held with Muslim adolescents aged 18 to 30 in Regina, SK and Vancouver, BC, the work sought to connect Muslim communities, build media literacy, and create and share stories and counter narratives. The resulting narratives were then disseminated in various formats, including the development of a web-based crowdsourcing storytelling platform. Co-creating and disseminating visual narratives for and with the Canadian Muslim community presents a culturally adapted participatory research method for interactive storytelling and social action. Ultimately, the project explores building a long-term practice of digital literacy and agency in the Muslim community, empowering Muslims to take ownership of their narratives to dismantle algorithmic and narrative injustice.