When it comes to representation in film, Muslims around the world continue to be "either invisible or villains.” That’s according to a new landmark study that found Muslims accounted for less than 2 percent of all speaking roles in popular films. In contrast, 24 percent of the world's population is Muslim.

Hollywood's tropes feed real-life perceptions of Muslims, spurring on "the policies that get enacted, the people that get killed, [and] the countries that get invaded," said Riz Ahmed, an Oscar-nominated actor who supported the study.

To tackle the problem, Ahmed and a team of “Muslim Avengers” recently launched the Blueprint for Muslim Inclusion, which includes funding and mentoring for Muslim storytellers in the early stages of their careers.

New groundbreaking television shows are also on the rise, including Ramy, We Are Lady Parts, and the upcoming Ms. Marvel.

But despite evidence that diversity improves box office numbers, Muslims continue to be left out of movies in any meaningful way. In this episode of The Stream we ask, what will it take to boost Muslim representation in film? Join the conversation.

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