The relationship between Yasmin and Nasar is quite close. The first time we ever see hem alone together is when they are in Yasmin’s room sat on the bed, having a cigarette. Yasmin talks to him about Faisal. The director shows their relationship to be very relaxed and special as they are in her bedroom, smoking which their father would highly disapprove of. Close up shots are used to suggest the closeness of their relationship. They do not talk for long as Nasar gets a phone call and goes else ware, to do business.
Yasmin’s relationship with Faisal in not like a proper husband and wife relationship. She sleeps in a separate room to him and does not allow him to come into her room. There is nothing physical happening between them. She reacts with anger and kicks her husband out when he hits her. During the drama, she call her husband a “banana boat” which is a huge racist term. She also calls him a “thick paki”. Yasmin refuses to become intimate with her husband. Faisal is portrayed in a very negative way. He steals a goat in the drama, which later he says is his “wife”. When Faisal is shown in the drama the director uses high angle shots, which make him look inferior.
Now looking at Yasmin’s work colleagues. Her relationship with them was not bad they got on quite well but mainly Yasmin was close to John and vice versa. Before the attack on the twin towers she was not discriminated at all. There was one scene in the drama when Yasmin was made the employee of the week. However, after the attacks that is when the discrimination started. Someone drawing a beard on top of it ruined her picture of the employee of the week. In addition, someone posting a “Yas loves Osama” note on her locker the day after the attacks.
After returning to work following the attacks she was told by her boss to take a few days off, which actually annoys her. Why should she take a few days off and no one else? She did not attack the world trade centre.
She felt taunted. Even John’s attitude had changed towards her. She constantly told him about what was happening he kept telling her to just forget about it and take no notice. There was one scene when most of Yasmin’s work colleagues were in the pub. They were teasing John about Yasmin. He felt a little embarrassed but he told them that him and Yasmin was not an item. In this very scene, Yasmin grabbed hold of John and give him a full on kiss. This is the first time we ever see them kiss through out the whole drama.
After the shocking events of September 11th, Yasmin’s whole life begins to change; her innate sense of confidence starts to evaporate and she becomes increasing ostracized at work. Since she is not white, British and Christian, she fit’s the mould for a potential terrorist, as do the rest of her family and neighbourhood. Yasmin becomes taunted because the attack on the twin towers has changed personal and social perceptions of her.
At first Yasmin fails to understand the significance of the attack on the twin towers; at one point in the drama, Yasmin hears the broadcast of George Bushes voice and turns the radio off. She does not take much of an interest.
One of the most expressive shot was when the televised images of the twin towers were seen through the faces of the people of keighley. The explosion seemed to emerge in people’s faces. Yasmin at this point was with her work mates. In this scene, she was shown alone on one side and the rest of her work mates together on the other side. It showed the division of the Muslim and white community that was yet to come. The attack on the World trade center alters Yasmin’s world as much of that of any true believer. At first it takes minor comparatively trifling forms; the casual cruelty of her workmate, for example posting a “Yas loves Osama” note on her locker the day after the attack. Alternatively, the sight of Muslim men, casting anxious glances upwards the same morning, at planes leaving vapour trails in the sky overhead. Soon the police are entering and searching Islamic households at gunpoint. Before long they come for her too-storming the house to seize her husband. All these factors have an unexpected consequence: staring into the mirror, as if doubting her own resolve, Yasmin wraps the veil around her head.
The police bash Yasmin’s door down and arrest her; they are looking for her husband, who they wrongly consider a terrorist. The new laws concerning terrorism are so vague and open to interpretation that anyone that gives any reason to make the police believe he or she is even potentially a terrorist can be held in prison for pretty as long as they consider necessary. Yasmin is only jolted out of her crisis of identity when she witnesses a brutal internment of her husband under the draconian rules of the anti-terrorism act. The injustice of this event forces Yasmin to re-evaluate her faith, her culture and her relationships.
From this point on we see a change in Yasmin’s character. In one scene where Yasmin is arrested and is in the cell, we see her sitting on one side and the Quran on the opposite side. She picks it up and starts to read it, which we do not see at all through out the drama. This shows us her struggle and her return to her religion to find strength. Later on when she is released, we see her waiting for Faisal, who for the first time she calls her “husband”. Dramatic music is used here to show the tension. We later see both husband and wife going home together; they use public transport, which shows unity. When they get home, we hear the adhaan being played. Faisal takes out his prayer mat then we see Yasmin place her prayer mat next to Faisal’s. He hugs and apologises to her, at this point we see him crying. The next morning we see Yasmin bring a cup of tea for Faisal where she takes the opportunity to ask for a divorce. Faisal reluctantly gives it to her. He leaves that day taking his suitcase and goat. Yasmin gives him a hundred pounds that he can live on until he gets a job. Yasmin in a way is honorable to Faisal.
Yasmin’s so-called relationship with John is just that. The only thing that happens between them is a kiss. The attacks on the twin towers change John and his feelings for her. The fact that she was married and did not tell him really changes his feelings for her as he feels he cannot trust her anymore. Yasmin still has feelings for John but the remark, made by John when he is in the pub and says “they” haven’t even apologised in which case he is referring to the Muslims, provokes Yasmin and makes her react with anger. The director uses long shots suggesting that there is no physical contact between the two; he also shows them apart from each other suggesting no romance between them and all throughout the drama their relationship is only as friends and nothing more. The contrast between the conversations with each other before and after the attacks on the twin towers are the same, both seem physically relaxed and look physically relaxed with each other, as they don’t feel awkward with one another, and there is also no formality between their conversations.
Moving on to Yasmin’s relationship with Nasar, through out the whole film it is very close. The end scenes are very powerful which show brother and sister side by side. During their last conversation they are in darkness which suggests….. Nasar asks Yasmin’s blessing, in the background the adhaan is being played. Yasmin at first does not give her blessing as she thinks she will not see him again but soon after gives her blessing to him.
Yasmin’s relationship with her father develops through the course of the film. The end scenes are very touching, as father and daughter are not talking to each other. One scene shows the father going to Yasmin’s house to find out if Nasar has gone. The shocking news that his son has gone to become a freedom fighter and did not even say goodbye to him makes him re-think his position as a father and he embraces his daughter. The director shows this hug using a close up shot of Yasmin.
Turning to Nasar, the first scene we see him in shows him reading Quran that is the holy book of Muslims to his father. The director shows him to be a good practicing young Muslim man as it is a Muslims duty to read the Quran everyday of ones life. He also in this scene uses bad language, which his father dislikes very much. The director suggests here that though he practices his religion he still goes against it to some extent. Later we see him with Yasmin having a cigarette, he gets a phone call and goes else ware for business. Nasar is in the drugs business. During the drama, we see him selling drugs to white girls.
His relationship with Yasmin is quite close. We see him talking to her at the start. The scene shows them both in Yasmin’s bedroom, having a cigarette. The director shows the relationship between them to be very special as he is lying on Yasmin’s bed and Yasmin is sat on the bed opposite him.
Nasar’s relationship with his father is not like a father and son relationship. They do not get on very well. Nasar continuously uses bad language, which his father does not like at all. He also does not like the style of his son, which he later during the drama calls “shame”.
After the attacks on the twin towers, we see him having a blow job done by a white girl, which he seems very happy about. This shows him to be very indecent. From an Islamic prospective this is not allowed and is considered a very big sin which is not easily forgiven. He finds the attack on the twin towers and the number of casualties very amusing. He laughs about it explicitly. Through out the drama we see Nasar reciting the adhaan but in an atrocious voice that is because of the drugs, he had taken. At this point, he is shown to be very corrupt.
After the attacks, the police raided Islamic household including the Hussain household. The police raid infuriated Nasar. The director uses high shots and close ups during this raid. September 11th attacks had made members of the police negative towards the Muslim community this was shown through the attack on the house in this scene close up shots were used to show emotion and people’s discomfort, high shots were also used showing the police holding members of the Muslim community down to the ground including John who is at Yasmin’s house when the raid takes place. High shots were used to show Muslims in an inferior possession. Nasar recalls to his father how they held him down at gunpoint and how he could have died under his roof. In one scene, Nasar is shown walking out of an argument with his father, which was about the police raid.
From this point, onwards we see a change in Nasar’s character. This is significant as it is a turning point for Nasar who becomes interested in freedom fighting and with the persuasion of a man who recruits for freedom fighters, he decides to join. He believes he has to join to save his Muslim brothers and sisters who are suffering all over the world. There is one point in the drama when he has a poster in one hand and his mobile phone in the other. He is confused and does not know what to do. His mobile rings and this is the time he decides is to make his decision. He throws his phone in the canal close by and walks off with the poster in his hand.
His relationship with his father does not change. The director shows this by using long shots suggesting that the relationship between father and son is not close. They still do not get on very well after the attacks infact from my point of view their relationship goes from bad to worse. He also does not consult his father of his decision to become a freedom fighter which suggests that he does not feel he can talk to his father and discuss life changing decisions. Even when he leaves, he does not ask his father’s permission to go in fact he does not even say goodbye to him though he knows he may not see him again. He leaves a letter explaining to his father that he is gone.
At the start of the drama both brother and sister are close and even at the end they are close. When Nasar makes the decision of becoming a freedom fighter he comes to Yasmin for her blessing as he feels close to her. She refuses to give her blessing but reluctantly gives it to him.
Finally, turning to the father, he is shown to be a very good pillar of the community, this is shown through the way he dresses. He dresses in a rather modest but formal way. He also dresses very neat so you feel he doesn’t draw attention to himself. His speech is very firm and he rarely gets angry. Most of the time during the drama he has a straight face the only time we see him getting violent is when he slaps Faisal. His character does not change much through out the whole drama. He works in a repair shop in which he repairs televisions etc. He feels ashamed by both his children.
His relationship with Yasmin is not very close at the start but later develops to be quite close. There is one point in the drama when Yasmin’s father disowns her as she threatens to get a divorce. Her father believes she will bring shame on the family and that she is deliberately trying to do this. He recalls to her the wishes of her mother on her deathbed. In a later scene we see him embracing his daughter when he finds out the shocking news that he has lost his son maybe forever. The director shows this hug using a close up shot of Yasmin. At the end of the drama he feels he has lost all authority over his children and feels very sad and lonely.
His relationship with his son Nasar is terrible. Father and son do not get on at the start of the drama and nothing changes at all through out the whole drama. Their relationship stays the same. He has many arguments with his son. He does not like the use of bad language, which his son uses frequently, and he also does not like the style of his son. He calls it “shame“. Their appalling relationship is because of the lack of communication between them. The director shows their appalling relationship in scenes as whenever father and son try to have a conversation it always turns into an argument.
After the attack on the twin towers the father loses his son forever. He does not know whether he is going to come back alive or not and the fact that Nasar did not consult him of his decision saddens him. He also feels upset that Nasar did not even say goodbye and just left a letter. Father and son are never close.
Looking at the police, before the advents of the September 11th they are seen driving around the streets now and again. After the happenings of September 11th we saw them on every street, searching every household. The images of the big vans and the raids showed the police being very violent and sensitive.
Not before long, they are searching the Hussain household looking for Faisal whom they wrongly consider a terrorist. They hold them all down at gunpoint including John; the high shot used here by the director symbolically suggests the white culture lowering the status of the Muslim culture.
The police service does not seem to be pleasant either. They question Yasmin when she goes to visit Faisal to sign the divorce papers. They arrest her for withholding information but later release her.
There is one scene in the drama where two police officers are dressed in ordinary clothes they try to bribe Nasar on giving them information on someone by offering to pay him five hundred pounds. He refuses their bribery and shouts, “Watch out the pigs are on the loose”.
Overall as a young Muslim British woman living in Rockdale, I liked this drama as young Muslims were looked in a serious way on the television. It was very impressive the way the director used a woman at the heart of the story. The feminine view was looked at in detail, which is not always brought forward. Yasmin is basically about a woman wanting to mix in with both cultures but after the attacks on the world trade center they clash and she is caught up between them.
Both brother and sister go through a process from being corrupt to understanding the significance of their religion. The turning point of this drama is that it is parallel between the world and the individuals; this is shown through the structure of the drama. There have been big changes in both Yasmin and Nasar. Yasmin at the end returns to her religion as she finds consolation in it. Whereas Nasar becomes a freedom fighter.
