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Grey’s Anatomy has always been on the frontline of inclusive and diverse TV shows. It is one of the first TV series by much-admired showrunner Shonda Rhimes that gave us well-written ethnically diverse characters like Korean-American Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Latina-American Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) to name a few. To that list, we can now add the very first hijabi by the name of Dahlia Qadri!
A New Set of Interns in Recurring Roles For Season 14
The popular medical TV drama features some of the most mind-blowing cases in clinical history along with some intense relationship drama and unforgettable plot twists for 13 seasons. To fill up their storyline season after season, creating new characters is unavoidable.
For season 14, the Grey Sloan Memorial hospital gets six new interns. All six appeared in the episode “Ain’t that a Kick in the Head” which featured Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) and Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) hunting for new surgical prospects. One of them is Dahlia Qadri, a hijabi intern played by actress Sophia Taylor Ali, and also the first prominent character to wear a hijab on the show. After 12 years, her character is surely welcome!
A Deliberate Choice To Include Extras Wearing Hijabs In Season 13
The first time hijabis were shown on Grey’s Anatomy was during episode 18 of season 13. Several hijabis made an appearance playing the roles of doctors and nurses.
The episode “Be Still, My Soul” was directed by the show’s very own Ellen Pompeo (i.e. Meredith Grey), which was also her first time directing an episode for Grey’s Anatomy. After the episode aired, the internet praised Pompeo’s choice to represent Muslims on her acclaimed TV show:
THERES A HIJABI IN THE NEWEST EPISODE OF GREYS ANATOMY AND IM FREAKING OUT!!!
— وئام ابراهيم (@weam_ibrahim21) March 31, 2017
In 12 years of watching #GreysAnatomy i've never seen a woman in a hijab let alone a dr/nurse it must be @EllenPompeo influence! What an ep!
— Bee suv steed 😘👌 (@BiancaSunderlan) March 31, 2017
ok but i'm loving all the female doctors in hijabs in the backgrounds of all these scenes on greys 😊😊😊😊😊😊 @EllenPompeo
— keishy pompeo (@burrrrley) March 31, 2017
Ellen Pompeo’s reponse made the representation even more special!
Thank you for noticing it was very deliberate on my part https://t.co/lVXzm8cmQa
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) March 31, 2017
And, this person who must be as happy as us to welcome Dahlia Qadri on the show!
3 hijabis on #GreysAnatomy last night! Thank you @shondarhimes for the representation. Hoping 4 main hijabi character soon!#hijabisongrey
— Nayera Thabet (@Nayerat) March 31, 2017
This article is written by Siham Machkour
