After years under the radar, we now live in times where Muslims are constantly in the spotlight. Our culture, our beliefs, our way of life and above all our religion, for the most part, are projected negatively to the rest of the world through Western Media. Strong words like hate, radical, fear, etc. are always associated with Islam to such an extent that people unfamiliar with the religion and it’s people begin to correlate them habitually but along comes a sitcom to save the day. The first Muslim sitcom viewed in North America, Little Mosque on the Prairie is a new Canadian Broadcasting Corporation sitcom that premiered on January 9th 2007. It has already gotten more than 2 million viewers watching it every Wednesday at 8pm. Set in a post-9/11 era, the sitcom focuses on a Muslim community in the prairies.
Some would disagree with the sitcom’s success and say it does a poor job to represent true Muslim culture and traditions. Personally, I feel it does well in depicting a softer side of the Muslim world that till now has been kept away from the masses residing in the West. Unlike the Danish cartoons, the sitcom gives the open-minded on both sides, a chance to laugh. Also, issues and questions are raised in the show that are frowned upon in most Muslim countries and have never been discussed openly enough.
I have added an audio interview with the sitcom’s creator Zarqa Nawaz, a Canadian woman of Pakistani origin living in Regina, Sasketchewan. She discusses the show in a bit more detail and shares her own opinion as well. For more information, please visit the official website.
I’ve put up the first two episodes of the sitcom for new viewers. As the sitcom debutted only a couple of months ago, there have been eight episodes so far, let’s see how the rest of the world reacts.
Episode One: Little Mosque (Pilot)
The first episode introduced viewers to the close-knit Muslim community, in the fictional small town of Mercy, and to the local non-Muslims who regard their neighbors with a mixture of trepidation and tolerance.
Episode Two: The Barrier
In the second episode, the new imam, a handsome young man newly arrived from Toronto, sparks a battle of the sexes when he decides to erect a barrier between men and women in the mosque.
Dear Ghafoor,
At the risk of sounding unpopular, I have to stick my hand up as one of the ‘nay’ sayers. I have watched all the episodes released thusfar, and have to say I am not suprised that the comedy’s ratings have consistently gone down. I find it hackneyed, uninteresting and fairly unoriginal. The only reason I watched it was because there are few other Muslim-themed programmes from the West.
Yes, it does depict “a softer side”. But, at what cost and to what purpose? By juxtapositing moderates such as the imam and the doctor Raiyan, against the somewhat hardline, traditionalist Babar, the programme only further entrenches Western stereotypes of a moderate/fundamentalist schism in the Muslim diaspora.
Moreover, there is nothing truly innovative about the programme. It is fairly run-of-the mill community-minded stuff which could, with a few alterations, fit as any American comedy. That is no great achievement, except to encourage assimilation to the extent of loss of self-identification. In the void that is the world, are to sail headstrong into the maelstrom of anonymity as a community? To shortsell our sui generis nature as a community for pro bono publico? That, I am certain, is less an achievement and more a regression.
Furthermore, the programme lacks serious plot development. By episode 8, the latest one, we still have the same hackneyed plots of Babar making inane protestations of the running of the mosque; Yasir putting business before religion; and the imam having a camaraderie with his fellow spiritual crusader in arms, the priest. The last part, the dialogue between the imam and the priest, is neither enlightening, nor engaging. It is simple humdrum bog-standard ‘lets all be friends’ superficiality. There is a clear unwillingness to grasp the thorny issues head on, for fear of being stung by the nettles. Here again, an opportunity to trailblaze is squandered by the programme.
I have to say, I am greatly disappointed by the series. I thought it would engage and enlighten. Instead, it bored and it blundered. Its portrayal of liberal, tolerant Islam misrepresents Muslims as assimilationists of reckless abandon. Whatever happened to saying with conviction, I’m different and I’m not ashamed of it? What happened to saying, Say it loud, I’m Muslim, and I’m proud?
Quite clearly, the unintended subtext of the Little Mosque is that we will fall for anything, because we stand for nothing.
I just watched both the episodes put up. Freddie, I agree with you that the show does not provide anything new as far as the comic aspect is concerned. In fact, it is not that funny at all. However, as you yourself stated it is one of the very few programs in the West that shows Muslims in a different light. Unlike 24 and United 93 it does not show them as existing only to terrorise. It shows the human side of Muslims, which may have been lost in the West in recent times. Hence, credit must be given for coming up with something new and refreshing.
I am a bit perplexed that you feel so strongly about the show, yet you have taken out the time to watch all 8 episodes. Each and every one of them. Do you intend to watch the rest of the season as well? Or, did it take you all of 8 episodes to decide whether you liked it or not?
Hakim, as an individual I like to give people and concepts as much the benefit of doubt as possible before knocking them. That is precisely why I watched all 8 episodes that were currently available, in the hope of coming to some measured observations. In that vein, I may consider watching some of the coming episodes, but only from an analytical standpoint and bearing in mind the disappointment the first 8 have caused. My indecisiveness until no.8 was not indicative of any confusion really on my part.
Yes, it shows the human side of Muslims. But as mentioned earlier, if you change the names and location, it’s still the same old bog standard internal clash of interpretations spiel. And again, what exactly of the human side of Muslims is being portrayed? That we bicker internally over the smallest of procedural matters? That would make us no better than the previous nitpickers of the Law per Leviticus (the Jews). Or that we are just like your average Westerners, in which case we neglect the unique history imparted to us by 1,400 years of civilisation? In that case, what would make this Muslimesque sitcom different from the Jewishesque Seinfeld, for instance?
My point Hakim, is that there’s no real reason for either Muslims or non-Muslims to sit back, relax and enjoy this sitcom, because it’s purposeless. Fair play to the creators for trying, but few marks for everything else. At least the program Sleeper Cell gives us more insight into the impact of Islam on the daily lives of the protagonists. And at least Sleeper Cell highlights the intelligence and devotion which believers derive from an adherence to their religion.
Dear Freddie,
At the risk of sounding idealistic, I have to stick my hand up as one of the ‘yay’ sayers. I had only watched the pilot when I put the post up, even with the knowledge of seven more episodes. In case you don’t know, the success of the pilot is basically what the decision on whether the show is given the green or not is made. The post mentions statistics regarding the show, which I’m sure the broadcasting company kept in mind before giving the green light, wouldn’t you say?
You say you found it hackneyed, uninteresting, and fairly unoriginal yet in your next line, you say you watched it because there are few other Muslim-themed programmes from the West. Okay I do believe that’s a contradiction, I just read. The audio interview tells us clearly that this is the first Muslim show in North America (you don’t appreciate or acknowledge this) Something different and new should qualify as original and with more than 2 million viewers already, I think its pretty interesting. Thirdly, how can something interesting and some-what original, be hackneyed?
However, I am glad you did acknowledge one of the main themes of the sitcom, to show a softer and more rational side of Muslims. At what cost you ask? At the cost of being criticized for not meeting the viewers’ superficial and secondary needs. The very purpose is to show the West that we have acknowledged the reality of the situation in the Muslim world. We do have moderates and fundamentalists both abroad and at home.
Freddie, what startles me here is how you consistently see negativity in the sitcom. Every episode has some main issue, which involves various members of the community and towards the end of the show, there is a moment of reflection on the issue overall. To mention some topics: dating, same-sex marriage, polygamy, converts etc. Some topics are taboos while the mere mention of others raises eyebrows and turns heads. In regards to trailblazing, we must learn to walk before we run.
I do not plan on further address the rest of your comment because I feel this is a sufficient answer for supporting this show or at least watching it. I’m sorry but I am not craving a Muslim version of some recent popular Western sitcom. I am satisfied and entertained by the sitcom because even though it fails to meet our selfish needs, it compensates by successfully contributing to our social and overall good.