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Obama tells US networks: More Muslims not related to national security please

US President weighs in on America's hot topic of Diversity on screen.

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Diversity on screen is a hot topic in the US right now, particularly since the Oscars has suddenly noticed its dominance of caucasians amongst its nominees.

That got a big slapdown from the winners at the Screen Actor’s Guild recently, especially when Idris Elba told the room “Ladies and gentleman, welcome to diverse TV!”

Now President Barack Obama has made comment on the portrayal of Muslims on US TV shows.

Attending his first US mosque as President, Obama scolded the networks for not doing their part to portray Muslims in series storylines other than ones about national security.

In conversations with young Muslims, Obama said in an address at the Islamic Society of Baltimore, “They were pointing out that so often they felt invisible. And part of what we have to do is to lift up the contributions of the Muslim-American community, not when there’s a problem, but all the time.

“It’s not that hard to do,” Obama said, addressing network execs not in the hall. “There was a time when there were no black people on television. You can tell good stories while still representing a reality of our communities.”

Meanwhile Ryan Murphy is committed to having 50 percent of all director slots on his shows — Scream Queens, American Crime Story and American Horror Story — filled by either women or minority candidates, by the end of 2016. He defines minority as people of colour or members of the LGBTQ community.

Source: Deadline

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