Time Hoppers - The Silk Route seeks to counter islamophobia
Story by ATV | Posted by Aasha Khosa | Date 08-02-2026
Florideliza Derit and the post of the movie Time Hoppers - The Silk Route
Harjinder
Some time ago, in this very column, I wrote about Seema Yasmin, who lives in the United States. To combat the growing Islamophobia in American society, she wrote a book based on the story of a disabled Muslim girl, titled "The True Story of Maysoun Zayid." Through her book she wanted to bring Muslim characters into mainstream narratives.
Her book has since been turned into an animated featrure film by Florideliza Derit. She has created an animated feature film with Muslim children in the lead roles. Derit has also tried to showcase the diversity of Muslims the film. These children come from Arab, West Asian, and Southeast Asian backgrounds.
Derrett also stated in an interview that this change was necessary because even when such characters appear in films, they are usually in supporting roles. But in this film, they have been given the lead role.
The film Time Hoppers - The Silk Road was released in theaters across the United States on February 7 and 8.
The film's strength lies not only in its Muslim characters, but also in its ability to transport viewers to an era considered the golden age of Muslim history.
n the film, these children somehow travel through time and end up in Baghdad between the 7th and 13th centuries.
The film then introduces us to various historical figures who invented algebra, formulated the laws of astronomy, and worked in numerous fields of science.
Clearly, the film doesn't want to limit its focus to just Muslim characters but aims to change people's perceptions of Islam as a whole.
One way to challenge prevailing misconceptions among many Americans is to show them that this civilization has a long tradition of knowledge and scientific inquiry. Derit's film does just that.
The film also includes the voices of several Muslim scholars living in the United States. The reason for releasing the film in theaters is to ensure that it reaches mainstream American audiences.
Broadcasting it through any other medium would risk limiting its reach.
If that were to happen, its purpose might not be fulfilled. Derit has previously made two other films. In 2016, he also launched a streaming platform for children called Muslim Kid TV.
See the trailor of the movie Time Hoppers - the Silk Road :
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