1. Once you have seen the whole episode of (Series 3/Episode 10) used in this
case study, ask yourself what view of terrorism is conveyed to audiences? Refer to
key scenes which influence your attitudes.
One key scene in the drama is where Ahmed holds Fiona and Danny hostage and
phones Fiona’s husband, Adam, to force him to decide which of the two will be
murdered. Danny provokes Ahmed into killing him (scenes 31 and 32).
✧ Ahmed is represented in a negative way, Fiona and Danny positively. How are
those binary opposites conveyed to audiences?
✧ What role do

2. , camerawork and editing play in underlining those
representations?
✧ What techniques are used to involve audiences emotionally? How does that
position audiences?
✧ What view of terrorism emerges from these scenes?

3. ✧ What do you understand by Arab, Islamic, Muslim, Middle-Eastern?
✧ What are the equivalent categories for describing British people?
Since Britain is an ethnically diverse society, are there equivalents? What does this
suggest about using these categories, which are widespread in the mainstream
media?
✧ What do you know about Al Qaeda?
✧ Try to find three contrasting representations of Iraqi people from the internet,
newspapers, magazines, films. What conclusions can you draw from these
representations?
✧ Look back at the representation of Ahmed and Khatera in this episode of .
How far does the drama position audiences to equate ‘Muslim’ (from whatever
national context) with terrorism?
✧ Think of other characters from British ethnic minorities in the drama. What is their
significance?