Warning: Every effort is being made to avoid revealing plot lines from the newly released season; however, this article may inadvertently contain spoilers for the second season of House of Cards.
WASHINGTON, February 20, 2014 – Remy Danton is a lot of things: a hotshot lobbyist, an associate of Raymond Tusk, and someone who has known Francis Underwood for many years. The actor that plays Remy Danton, Mahershala Ali, is something else: an Ahmadi Muslim.
The creators of House of Cards have not directly brought up the issue of Islam and politics on the hit show, but that has not prevented them from showcasing ordinary Muslims as a part of the series community.
Muslim actors play an important role in the show as either main characters or important secondary characters. The show’s White House Chief of Staff, Linda Vasquez, is played by Sakina Jaffrey, who comes from a Muslim background. Jaffrey has not discussed her faith publically, but the etymology of her name implies Shiite Muslim ancestry. Neither of the two play openly Muslim characters on the show, rarely (if ever) discussing the topic of religion on screen.
Interestingly, one on-screen character appears to have a common Muslim name: political reporter Ayla Sayyad. The name “Sayyad” is sometimes used as a variant of “Sayyid,” implying that a person is a descendant of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. She is played by Iranian American actress Mozhan Marnò, who has a rich background in portraying Middle Eastern or Muslim characters in a variety of shows and movies.
The show’s main character, Frank Underwood, has little to say about religion. However, in a season 1 episode, Underwood is forced to attend church for political reasons, and delivers a fascinating, if not disturbing, monologue:
“[speaking to God] Every time I’ve spoken to you, you’ve never spoken back, although given our mutual disdain, I can’t blame you for the silent treatment.
“Perhaps I’m speaking to the wrong audience. Can you hear me? Are you even capable of language, or do you only understand depravity? …
“There is no solace above or below. Only us – small, solitary, striving, battling one another.
“I pray to myself, for myself.”
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