About Us
About Us
What We Do
The MPAC® Hollywood Bureau shapes the narrative of Islam and Muslims in the entertainment industry so that audiences look to Muslims as vital contributors to creating social and cultural change in America and around the world.
We do this by engaging decision makers and creatives to improve the quality of authentic, nuanced, and inclusive depictions of Islam and Muslims. We also create opportunities for Muslim storytellers to tell their own stories.
Why This Matters
For many, pop culture is the only contact that millions of Americans have with Muslims and Islam, and for decades we have been portrayed as terrorists or other misinformed stereotypes. The resulting perceptions have caused fear, hatred, and increasing marginalization of our communities.
Authentic on-screen depictions will not only work to dispel misconceptions and fears of Islam and Muslims held by audiences, but also build bridges, and foster a deeper understanding and realization that we have much more in common than what divides us.
The Team
We are a multicultural team of producers, writers, directors, and cultural experts with deep knowledge of Islam and Muslim communities. Led by Senior Vice President Sue Obeidi, we work in the entertainment media industry to ensure Muslim characters and storylines are portrayed with authenticity, nuance, and depth.
Sue Obeidi
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Fortunately, we are experiencing a new kind of Golden Age in Hollywood. The movement for inclusion of all marginalized communities is changing the landscape of the industry before our eyes, and an influx of talent and fresh perspectives are energizing this powerful media.
Since the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC®)’s Hollywood Bureau was launched in 2011, Sue Obeidi has blended the love of her faith with her love of film, television, and digital series to change and expand the narrative of Islam and Muslims in the entertainment industry.
Obeidi and her team ensure that the MPAC® Hollywood Bureau is a partner with the entertainment industry. Behind the scenes, Obeidi engages decision makers and creatives to improve the quality and number of authentic, nuanced, and inclusive presentations of Islam and Muslims so that audiences can see Muslims as vital contributors to creating social and cultural change in America and around the world. She also enriches the pool of Muslim talent in Hollywood by nurturing and connecting them to those who can assist with their careers, both on the creative and business sides of the industry.
In 2017 and 2022, Obeidi was chosen for Variety's Inclusion Impact Report as one of 60 changemakers making the entertainment industry more inclusive. On the frontlines of media, Obeidi is a vibrant and fresh voice.
Her poignant and passionate perspective appears in Op-Ed pieces for top industry publications such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Wrap. Obeidi has been a guest lecturer at American University, University of Southern California, and Georgetown University, and she has spoken on panels at the Sundance Film Festival, Variety Inclusion Summit, Variety Family TV Summit, Teen Vogue Summit, Women in Entertainment, Color of Change, and the Center for Asian American Media.
Obeidi is the “go-to” interviewee for perspectives on Islam and Muslims in the entertainment industry, having been quoted in many articles by national publications including, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Variety, TMZ, and The Hollywood Reporter. The MPAC® Hollywood Bureau has consulted on projects with The Walt Disney Studios, Disney/ABC Television, Paramount Studios, Amazon, Hulu, Legendary TV, Nickelodeon, CBS, NBC, Fox, FX, NatGeo, Starz, BBC1, and Participant Media, among others.
She is a self-professed couch potato at heart and a huge consumer of content. What attracts Obeidi to the entertainment industry are the stories being told. Obeidi always says, “Good stories can change hearts; changed hearts can change minds; and changed minds impact our values and can galvanize us into action.”
She has an MBA and B.A. in Marketing and has been with the Muslim Public Affairs Council since November of 2000.
Najla Zaidi
DIRECTOR
Najla Zaidi is an award-winning screenwriter and director. She has written and directed PSAs, short films, music videos and a feature documentary. Najla has consulted on international films and been a writer-for-hire on numerous film and TV projects. In addition, she was a journalist and podcaster for an online Asian news platform, as well as Head of Communications for an international electronics manufacturer.
Najla has guest lectured in San Diego State University’s Film department and served as Jury Chair at the Temecula Valley International Film and Music Festival. She has been a directing instructor for the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation and AFI’s Young Women in Film Program and volunteers with The Art of Elysium. Najla has earned a MFA in screenwriting from UCLA and is a fellow of AFI’s prestigious Directing Workshop for Women. She is currently Director of the MPAC Hollywood Bureau.
Riham Osman
Communication and Digital Specialist
LinkedIn
Riham is a digital media and communications strategist with over 10 years of expertise in the non-profit and corporate sectors. She has worked with organizations such as Nestlé USA and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) to develop content, cultivate digital presence and empower leaders to tell their stories through social media. She is committed to making a meaningful impact through digital storytelling.
Hasnain Syed
Hasnain is a producer, marketer, and filmmaker with a focus on narrative strategy, digital content, and visual storytelling. His work spans entertainment, advocacy, healthcare, and education, where he develops campaigns that inform, engage, and inspire. At the HB, he supports the advancement of authentic Muslim representation through video production, website redesign, messaging, and social media strategy.
Elyse Walker
Production Specialist
Elyse Walker is a writer and producer with 15 years of experience in humanitarian aid and now works as a Production Specialist for MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau. A San Diego native, she spent years across the Middle East as an Operations Director for DOS and USAID before returning to California to pursue film. Her work centers on resilience and inter-cultural identity, elevating underrepresented voices. Her short Heartbeat was runner-up at AFI’s 72-Hour CFA, and Higher Education premiered at LA Shorts Fest 2025.
Nimra Rashid
Digital Media Specialist Linkedin
Nimra specializes in storytelling, visual communication, and digital strategy across TV, film, and entertainment-driven social platforms. A 2023 Radio-TV-Film graduate from the University of Texas, she supports narrative and design for the MPAC Hollywood Bureau, shaping content for socials and events. Her work blends creativity with data-driven insight, strengthening brand identity, driving engagement, and turning strong creative ideas into measurable impact.
Mustafa Knight
Mustafa Knight is a Sundance-alumni writer, director, and actor, and a 2024 Muslim List honoree on The Black List. Born in Baghdad and raised in the U.S., he creates sharp, character-driven comedies rooted in immigrant perspective. His acting credits include True Detective, NCIS: Los Angeles, and playing the Red Ranger in the 2015 dark Power Rangers reimagining. His work blends wit, empathy, and momentum to spotlight underrepresented voices.
The Obeidi-Alsultany Test
A five-point framework for evaluating authentic, nuanced Muslim characters in film and TV.
Muslims make up 1.8 billion people globally — a richly diverse population across race, ethnicity, and culture. Yet Hollywood has long relied on narrow, stereotypical portrayals, often reducing Muslims to a single “look” or trope.
In the U.S., Black Muslims are the largest group, and Latinx Muslims are the fastest-growing — yet these stories remain largely untold. Accurate, inclusive representation must reflect this diversity, both on screen and in writers’ rooms.
Inspired by tools like the Bechdel, DuVernay, Russo, and Riz tests, we created the Obeidi-Alsultany Test — a five-point framework to evaluate whether Muslim characters are portrayed with depth, complexity, and authenticity.
The Test
1. Narratives:
Muslim characters appear in new, original contexts — not rehashed tropes.
2. Creative Authorship:
A Muslim-identifying writer is on the team to ensure authenticity.
3. Beyond Religion:
Characters are not solely defined by faith, but have full lives and depth.
4. Narrative Significance:
Muslim characters are central to the story and have clear, rich backstories.
5. Diverse Identities:
Portrayals include a range of racial, ethnic, gender, and cultural identities.
Sue Obeidi is the Senior Vice President of the MPAC Hollywood Bureau. Evelyn Alsultany is an associate professor at USC’s Dornsife College and scholar of representations of Muslims in the U.S. media.