CBC TV has begun a new sitcom series called "Little Mosque on the Prairie". It's about a community of Muslims who have located themselves in a small town in rural Saskatchewan and are coping with the every-day realities of being a Muslim Canadian in a post-9/11 world.
They joke about religion - all religions. They mock the stereotypical small-town bigotry, as well as the fundamentalist conservatism.
The show's creator/producer is a Muslim-Canadian woman who has essentially lived the life of the characters, and they seem to touch on many of the important issues of the day using comedy, such as racial profiling, intolerance, terrorism, etc.
odd for a Canadian TV show, before it even aired, Little Mosque recieved extensive coverage in the national and international media for its potentially-volatile csubject matter. Canada's Imams, however, urged their followers to actually watch the show before they condemn it. Canada's large Muslim community has reacted favourably to the show, though only two episodes have aired.
The pilot show is available on You Tube in 4 parts, if anyone cares to watch.
The show's website is http://www.cbc.ca/littlemosque/
My question is this: Does anyone see this kind of humour as a problem? Do you think it might be a sign that we're beginning to move beyond the paranoia which exists about Muslims?
I don't mean to thump my chest or be arrogant about my country, but it's my opinion that if a show like this doesn't "work" in Canada (ie gets cancelled due to complaints), then the res tof the world is pretty much doomed.
They joke about religion - all religions. They mock the stereotypical small-town bigotry, as well as the fundamentalist conservatism.
The show's creator/producer is a Muslim-Canadian woman who has essentially lived the life of the characters, and they seem to touch on many of the important issues of the day using comedy, such as racial profiling, intolerance, terrorism, etc.
odd for a Canadian TV show, before it even aired, Little Mosque recieved extensive coverage in the national and international media for its potentially-volatile csubject matter. Canada's Imams, however, urged their followers to actually watch the show before they condemn it. Canada's large Muslim community has reacted favourably to the show, though only two episodes have aired.
The pilot show is available on You Tube in 4 parts, if anyone cares to watch.
The show's website is http://www.cbc.ca/littlemosque/
My question is this: Does anyone see this kind of humour as a problem? Do you think it might be a sign that we're beginning to move beyond the paranoia which exists about Muslims?
I don't mean to thump my chest or be arrogant about my country, but it's my opinion that if a show like this doesn't "work" in Canada (ie gets cancelled due to complaints), then the res tof the world is pretty much doomed.
