Little Mosque on the Prairie (new citcom)

[emad]

While it is a TV show, the idea behind it would best be discussed in the opinions forum. The reason being is that we have all seen how some of the more irrational muslims out there respond to humor regarding this religion.

The show itself is a Canadian citcom regarding the lives and assimilation of a group of Muslim people into Saskatchewan (One of Canada's most rural areas).

There's an NY Times article that covers the show in more detail. Someone I used to know had a rebuttal to the show and claims that it shouldn't hit the airwaves.

Here's what he had to say

Assalamu alaekum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu,

I'm sure many of us are aware of the new sitcom 'Little mosque and the Prairie' that has begun to air in Canada on CBC. If you have seen a couple of clips of this program, you’ll realize the humorous intent of the show is excessive in the context of hardships that Muslims have had to endure post 9/11. It is disappointing that a Canadian Muslim named Zarqa Nawaz created the program and it crosses several boundaries of Islam. (you can read about it in the New York Times link below) Truly Muslims do not need to compromise their faith in order to show to the world how humorous and serene we are? There are certainly other ways to do so, and when we do have the access and means to be able to get our hands into the media, why are we turning our Deen into a farce?

The show is becoming subject to widespread publicity and Muslims need to take a stand against such an inappropriate and colossal misrepresentation of our Deen in the attempt to perhaps please the West.

If you would like to read more about it, it’s already in the New York Times and even they seem sceptical about such a program. When you read this article, you will understand why this group was created.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/a...47600&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=print

The question we must ask ourselves is, do we need to become comedians to explain our faith to the West or do we need to use any publicity in the media to represent what Islam truly is all about – a complete way of life.

Myself, I think this show is a good thing. It's a start in finally getting the people encultured into the country. If nothing else, it might help the older generation like my parents to at least start to lighten up and begin to accept the culture of the place they have chosen to emmigrate to and call their new home. It's difficult to 'explain' something to someone that they have a problem and have it stick in their heads.. but if you can get them to laugh about it, then you'll have succeeded in at least having them think about it enough to laugh. That may, in turn begin the process of change.

My parents tell me I have forgotten who I am... but I was never exposed to pakistani culture and my exposure to Islam has never been consistent. Growing up, I was dragged along to Islamic Studies classes despite my complaints that the teachers weren't teaching me anything. Then I got yelled at for not having learned anything afterwards (being a kid is great, innit?). Over the summer, I tried going to some other classes for a similar task and my exposure there was enough to push me from considering going agnostic to doing so. Of course, my family doesn't know this - they probably never will... at least not until I can afford to move out of the house so I don't have to deal with them.

As for the show itself, I'm not sure how they'll be able to make it survive beyond 1 or 2 seasons. The reason being that it 1) focuses on things that people outside of islam may not necessarily understand 2) a show based around stereotype humor can only go on for so long before it becomes dull; and 3) somehow or other, I think someone is going to take it the wrong way and declare a Fatwah and maybe say Death to Canada. I just think the 'vocal' part of the community won't be taking kindly to it.