What Fatima Did – An exploration of fear and oppression

George

I went to see ‘What Fatima Did’ with zero expectations. I knew nothing about the source material and I think my experience was heightened because of this. ‘What Fatima Did’ is the debut play by Atiha Sen Gupta. It explores the role of fear and oppression in multicultural Britain. Fatima is the heroine of this piece. She is a modern Asian teenager from a Muslim background, who on her eighteenth birthday, decides to embrace Islam by wearing the hijab.

I’m sure we can all remember what a tumultuous time our teens were.  One fraught with identity politics, peer pressure and navigating our changing ideals.  At least for me, it wasn’t until I went to college that I started to become my most authentic self and stopped apologising for facets of my personality.

We meet Fatima’s boyfriend, George, her twin brother, Mohammed, and her lovable friends, Stacey, Aisha and Craig. It’s quickly established that they are a close-knit group but Fatima’s decision has caused major friction between them, leaving her friends wondering if she has lost her mind.

Craig and George

The first act explores whether Fatima has the right to make the decision to wear the hijab and what this means for her interracial relationship with George. Her friends frequently discuss the repercussions of this personal decision and this is even brought up in the classroom for mutual discussion and analysis.

As the play progresses, some of her friends who were once allies become triggered and turn into enemies. The hijab becomes this all-powerful symbol of change and oppression. A piece of cloth becomes an object of fear and hatred. A personal decision becomes a political chasm loved ones need to navigate and avoid.

The language and implications made by the characters were entertaining, engaging and thought-provoking. Even if you’re not a Muslim or have any religious affiliation, you can identify with making a personal decision that was met with fear and ridicule.

Craig and Stacey

By the second act, Fatima’s friends are hysterical. They question how she can adopt an Islamic symbol that is so misunderstood in Western society. George becomes impelled to embrace his British heritage in retaliation and Mohammed is exhausted having to defend his twin sister at every turn.

Some key dialogue that stood out for me came from Mohammed having a heated conversation with his mother:

”Do not give us Muslim names if you don’t want us to grow into them”

I thought this was a brilliant way to allude to the inner conflict in having a dual heritage. Coming from a rich cultural background and living in a country where you are not part of the majority group. How does one embrace their culture and their religion without offending others? Why are people offended or afraid of this in the first place? And why is it necessary to take the feelings of loved ones, even strangers, into consideration?

Fatima’s mother was a very interesting character. You assume that she would approve of Fatima’s decision but she is vehemently against it. She laments that women who do not wear the hijab are treated with less respect that those who do. She passionately advocates moving through Western society as invisibly as possible.

Aisha and George

”I even eat curry with my hands, I can’t be racist!”

This line got a lot of laughs. It’s funny in its ignorance but also heartbreaking at the same time. You feel sorry for George. He feels as though he has lost his girlfriend when in actuality, Fatima, is taking charge of her life and making an important decision for herself.

What struck me about this play was that we never meet the heroine in question. By the time the play ends, I’m sat forward, wringing my hands as I really wanted to meet her. We never hear her voice, she never gets the opportunity to defend herself and explain her decisions. And it’s this deliberate exclusion and denial of such a liberty that I applaud.

Fatima does not owe anyone an explanation. 

‘What Fatima Did’ is an impressive debut from Gupta. Replace ”hijab” with anything you deem important and you will empathise with the character we never get to meet. It forces you to question your internal prejudices and this is something we should do every day in order to be better people.

Have you seen ‘What Fatima Did?’

Love blackpistachio x