Please make your occasional observations of the show here. Depending on the progress we make in the class, we may watch a few more episodes. I want you to focus on issues of identity, on aspects of how faith informs life and politics and the issues of difference and diversity that come up so frequently.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Little Mosque on the Prairie
Please make your occasional observations of the show here. Depending on the progress we make in the class, we may watch a few more episodes. I want you to focus on issues of identity, on aspects of how faith informs life and politics and the issues of difference and diversity that come up so frequently.
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When I began to watch this show a year ago, it was slightly amusing, but I feel like I am the world's largest critic, because I am constantly criticizing, but I try not to judge. The problem I had with the show, is that it plays on stereotypes, and too many of them. It is far from real-life situations, and maybe that is why it is a sitcom, and I also know that stereo-types stem from somewhere, but what if the show was more heartfelt more, more touching. It would be ten times better than the original. It is difficult to pinpoint what the show is trying to convey if anything at all, but somethings make you overlook the true meaning. In my opinion it is the personality differences in the show that are so obvious it almost makes you miss the point. That every character is creating a social construct for their muslim way of life. It varies. The diversity of opinion for each muslim is what truly matters in the show, and the show displays this very well.
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ReplyDeleteThe series “Little Mosque on The Prairie” attempts to satire Muslims living within a non-Muslim country, in this case Canada. The show also attempts to contrast conservative Islamic views (held primarily by the characters of Baber and Fatima) with more liberal interpretations of Islam (as represented by Amaar and Rayyan). At its core however the series is essentially a sitcom taking classic themes such as family, friends and everyday humor and applying them to the town of Mercy. Winning several awards including the 2007 Search for Common Ground Award, “Little Mosque on The Prairie” has proven to be a valuable and powerful way to break down barriers and to encourage dialogue and understanding between cultures.
ReplyDeleteAlthough religion is a major aspect of the show, important political issues are tackled in a classic sitcom comedic way. For example in the first episode of the primary season Amaar, Mercy’s new Imam, is taken in for questioning at an airport simply because he said on a cell phone that moving to Mercy was “Allah’s plan for him”.
One of the most interesting aspects of the show is its illustration of Muslims and non-Muslims living in one single community. Baber and Fatima, who represent conservative views within Islam, are balanced by conservative radio host Fred Tupper among the non-Muslims, while Amaar and Rayyan, who represent Islamic liberalism, are balanced by the liberal Anglican Rev. Magee. The more moderate Yasir and Sarah, who try to be good Muslims but aren't particularly strongly defined by their faith, are balanced among the non-Muslims by Mayor Popowicz, who doesn't care what anybody's religious beliefs are as long as they vote for her on election day. The show also illustrates the plight of an average teenage Muslim girl, Layla (Barber’s daughter), struggling to find the right balance between her desire to be a good Muslim and her desire for the lifestyle of a regular Canadian teenager who's into music, clothes and boys.
Rayyan Hamoudi in particular illustrates a new breed of Muslim woman. Rayyan has the ability to balance her deep Muslim faith with her western feminist views. She also dresses in clothing that is not only religiously appropriate, but has been noted as quite fashionable in both the non-Muslim and Muslim community.
Throughout the series all of these characters interact and learn they actually have more commonalities than differences. In Canada and especially America, Muslims and non-Muslims are extremely untrusting of one another. Recent events involving the American government’s infiltration of mosques have only exacerbated these feelings. Television programs such as “Little Mosque on The Prairie” help to ease tension between cultures and teach everyone we have more commonalities than differences. Although it is a sad state of affairs that these lessons can only be learned through a television sitcom, it is definitely a step in the right direction towards a more peaceful and understanding world.
“The Great Barrier Grief”
ReplyDeleteIn the second episode of the first season of Little Mosque on the Prairie, the men of the community try to erect a barrier in the mosque to separate the men from the women. Babar and the other traditional men insist that barrier will keep them from being distracted by the women during prayer time. Fatimah, the most traditional of the women, thinks that the barrier will offer the women privacy. But Sarah and Riyan are vehemently opposed to the segregation. Amar, the imam, holds a democratic forum to debate the pros and cons of the barrier, and then he comes to a decision. The imam decides to keep the barrier half up so that the women who want to pray behind it can do so, and the rest of the women can pray on the other side of the room without the barrier. Both Babar and Riyan don’t like the compromise. Amar claims that “it’s the perfect Muslim solution. No one is happy.”
I have found that a lot of the issues that this little Muslim community faces are similar to many of the issues that the Jewish community has faced over the years. Orthodox Jewish communities have separate prayer areas for men and women. Only the men are allowed to participate in the service and they usually have a better view of the bimah, or pulpit. The beginnings of reform Judaism emerged in the early 19th century. Jews wanted to assimilate into European societies and still retain their Judaism. Some synagogues began to replace Hebrew prayers with songs of praise written in their own languages, and discard some of the traditions that segregated them from the mainstream society. Then, the 20th century, some of these reformed Jews wanted to return to some of the traditions that they had given up. Conservative Judaism, a middle ground was born.
Is it possible that Islam will go through a similar transformation? The Little Mosque on the Prairie gives me the impression that each community decides for themselves how they want to worship. However, it doesn’t seem to me that there are different “denominations” of Islam per say, the way there are in Judaism today. Is it possible that branches of Islam could one day go through a transformation similar to one that Judaism and before that Chrisitanity went through?
Another interesting aspect of this episode was the fact that Riyan, the hijabi feminist, was the most vocal about taking down the barrier. The radio hosts ask her Islam really is a sexist religion and she says “only when it’s run by men.” Riyan is such an fascinating character. As a hijabi woman, one would assume that she is shy and submissive. Clearly, this is not the case. Riyan is a fiery feminist who stands up for her rights and her beliefs. I would really like to watch more episodes specifically to get to know her character.
Finally, the debate between tradition and modernity is one that rages in every community, not just in Islam, and it has made a great topic for movies in the past. The generation gap between the daughter who wants to go to college and the father who takes this act of defiance very personally in My Big Fat Greek Wedding immediately comes to mind. Bend it Like Beckham is another movie that demonstrates the youth trying to fit in to mainstream society while their parents try to hold them to tradition. A young Sikh girl living in the UK wants to play professional soccer but her parents don’t like the idea of her running around in shorts. The Little Mosque on the Prairie gives us insight into this debate of tradition versus the surrounding culture in the Muslim societies of North America. I wonder if Zarqa Nawaz, the creator, is planning to direct a movie about the evolving Muslim community in the West.
Laura Schmidt
ReplyDelete"The Barrier" - review
Little Mosque on the Prairie is a Canadian sitcom created by Zarqa Nawaz that takes place in the town of Mercy, Saskatchewan. It portrays the lives of Muslims in contemporary Western society in a humorous light, playing off of conflicts within the Muslim community as well as issues between Muslims and Western non-Muslims. The first episode introduces the show’s main characters, who all represent a different stereotype of Muslims living in Western society. After watching the first episode, it is tempting to judge how each character’s actions will play out in future episodes, given the personality molds we have been told about and probably adopted subconsciously.
The second episode is called “the Barrier” because its plot is centered on a conflict over a wall erected in the mosque. Men and women are already separated during an Islamic service, but this wall was supposed to serve as a visual separation as well. In the first scene, Rayyan sees some of the men (led in the dispute by Baber) trying to put the wall up and she immediately protests. When imam Amaar interferes in Rayyan and Baber’s argument, he declares that the wall will stay up until he reaches a conclusion.
The argument catches the attention of Fred, the local radio talk show host (who acts as a very watered-down version of Rush Limbaugh in the series). While Rayyan declines to speak about the issue on his show, he goes on the air and makes a statement that agrees with her view, and this brings the conflict to the attention of the whole town. Later, a crowd of protesting women march in front of the mosque demanding that the wall be taken down, and Sarah (Rayyan’s mother, who is the show’s most liberal Muslim) asks them to leave. Within the mosque, the argument escalates because while Rayyan and Sarah dislike the wall, Fatima stands by her conservative views and states that she prefers to sit behind it.
As for the men, Baber and those who agree with him pull Yasir onto their side of the dispute. Yasir winds up being the main connection between the two sides, instead of the supposedly objective imam, because Sarah is his wife and decides to let the conflict intervene in their intimate life. This drives Yasir to take the wall down by himself, but Baber quickly attempts to fix it and the argument returns to the very beginning. Imam Amaar calls everyone to a meeting where he explains that part of the wall will be kept up for the women who want to sit behind it, and half will be taken down for those who feel more comfortable without it.
In this episode, the audience is presented with Rayyan continuing her image as the stereotypical young feminist Muslim. While her mother is on her side, Rayyan voices the loudest opposition to a barrier in the mosque. To portray issues between Muslim women and typical Western women, there is the scene of white female protesters outside of the mosque. This reinforces the Western feminist idea that anything done to cover women from public view is innately demeaning. The outcome here shows that while some Muslims like Sarah may agree with privileged Western views on women, the imposition of these women’s opinions on the Muslim community is ultimately condescending. Fatima’s opinions, for instance, should not be seen as primitive or brainwashed. The message from the show is basically that while it is possible for different groups of women to work together on feminist issues, it must not be done in a culturally imperialistic way.
One of the most interesting aspects of this particular episode is its subplot. Baber’s daughter, Layla, is a young teenager trying to find a balance between her Muslim values and living a normal Canadian teenage lifestyle. Early in the show, Baber tells her that she need not worry about covering her hair for an upcoming 10K race because she has not begun menstruating yet. In the middle of the episode she gets her period for the first time, but does not tell her father because she does not want to wear a hijab during the race. He soon finds out accidently while she’s not home and he picks up her clothes in her bedroom, yet does not confront her about it later. When he consults Fatima, she encourages him to accept the fact that Layla is growing up and says he needs to buy her a hijab. He admits his embarrassment, but because of his reluctance to talk to Layla before the race, it is implied that he is not as rigidly traditional as the first episode let on. Waving his hand in the last scene and telling Fatima “there’s always next month,” the audience gets a glimpse of his human side, whereas previously he appeared to be too radical to have much in common with the everyday secular Westerner.
The characters’ actions are consistently driven by their religious background since it is the theme of the show, but the plots also include challenges they face that most people in our society can relate to, regardless of religious affiliation. Many may regard this show as illustrating stereotypes to a ridiculous degree so that it is too far-removed from reality, but I disagree. The stereotypes are certainly strong, but it is a television show; a form of entertainment. Additionally I do not think that the stereotypes verge on being caricatures because there is a relatable level of compassion and love between the characters that most people identify with easily. Amidst the dispute over the wall in the mosque, Yasir and Sarah were constantly thinking of their marriage and how it was affected by the absence of affection. Baber was considering how to talk to his daughter because despite his relatively strict values, he worries about acting disrespectfully and losing her trust. Though most people may not be worrying about physical barriers to their relationships with others, families of all backgrounds face challenges similar to the ones in this episode. The show does its best to depict all areas of the lives of contemporary Western Muslims with humor and warmth.
Little Mosque on the Prairie was a great television show. With the episodes we watched, it was comedic and serious at the same time. It did take the stereotypes to the extreme, but that was fine. We do not have show like this yet in the United States, and will probably not for a while.
ReplyDeleteThe Imam, Amaar, was a lawyer from Toronto of Pakistani descent. After having a spiritual epiphany, he abandoned his law practice and took the job of Imam in the small town of Mercy, where the show takes place. Yasir, the head of the Muslim community of Mercy, runs his construction company out of the Mercy Mosque. He tries to balance his life between secularism and spirituality. His wife, Sarah, converted to Islam when they got married. She is from Mercy and does PR work for the mayor of Mercy. Their daughter, Rayyan, is a headscarf-wearing, forward thinking, Muslim feminist doctor. Baber, the former Imam, is the most conservative person in the community. He believes his views are the best interpretation of Islam. Fatima, the owner of a local restaurant, and the only African Muslim character on the show has some conservative views, but not as strict as Baber’s.
Amaar is an interesting character. It seems he grew up secular but became in touch with his Muslim identity. However, he does not realize how hard it would be to an Imam in such a diverse Muslim community. Baber wants to put a wall up and for the men to be in the front, but Rayyan believes that is sexist. Amaar allows for a temporary wall until he makes the decision. Amaar also has to deal with the stereotypes the non-Muslim community has of Muslims. Just as he arrives he is being interviewed about who he is and if Islam is a terrorist religion. He has many challenges in the foreseeable future.
Another interesting character is Rayyan. She upholds the traditional Muslim identity also. Even though her parents are somewhat secular, she truly tries to make her life very religious. She does not let religion get in the way of her feminist beliefs. She is fighting for more equality in the mosque. She does not want the traditional barriers that Baber wants to implement. Her perception is Islam does not compromise the freedom of worship for women, while Baber believes men and women should be separated. She is probably the most interesting character because she is a modernized Western person that is truly devoted to her faith.
The diversity of the mosque seems to be a major problem so far. As mentioned above, there was tension between Rayyan and Baber because of their different views. It seems the mosque doesn’t know which way to go yet. I remember in the first episode when the women were discussing what to cook for Eid there was problems. Fatima wanted to cook curry goat, while Sarah wanted to make cheese sandwiches. Fatima believes for the end of Ramadan they should cook a traditional dish like the goat curry. It seems Sarah was not too inclined to eat goat and suggested the sandwiches. Both were made in the end. Even something as minute as what to cook for Eid was a dilemma. So far the diversity of the mosque is causing some troubles, but in the long it will work out.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLittle Mosque on the Prairie: Film Review
ReplyDeleteJessica Theopold
Little Mosque on the Prairie is a situational comedy about the small Muslim community in a rural Canadian town called Mercy, and their trials and tribulations as they deal with the outside prejudices and internal doctrinal disputes. There are several main characters in the show. First there is Yasir, a contractor who rented the church that the mosque and his business is run in. Then Sarah, a former Anglican who works as a public relations agent in the female mayor's office, Sarah converted to Islam to marry Yasir. Rayyan is Yasir and Sarah’s daughter, an Islamic feminist who takes her religion very seriously. Amaar is the mosque’s young Imam who left his job as a lawyer in Toronto to come to Mercy. And Fatima, an African American Muslima and Baber, the interim Imam before Amaar, represent the more conservative side of the community.
In the three episodes that we have watched the characters have confronted various issues. The first episode highlights the prejudices the community faces from outside, as Amaar is held for questioning in the airport, the public discovers that the church is being rented out as a mosque, and a local radio hosts propagates their fears. The second episode focuses more on the internal dialogue between Muslims as well as gender issues as the mosque tries to figure out whether they want a barrier between the men and women during prayer. The third episode is an epic catastrophe when the mosque tries to educate the non-Muslim residents of Mercy through an open house. Having contracted his usual electricians out Yasir is forced to fix the faulty wiring in the mosque on his own, resulting in a shorted-circuit and small fire during the open house. As one might imagine, this does nothing for the relationship between the Muslims and non-Muslims in Mercy.
While the show does exploit the humor in the interactions of the Muslims with the non-Muslim townspeople of Mercy, it doesn’t seem to be attempting to make any strong political statement. It is essentially a traditional sitcom whose most unique trait is the simple fact of being set among an underrepresented and misunderstood cultural community. I don’t think there is any shame in this fact though; humor can be a really great way to break down barriers and to encourage dialogue and understanding between cultures.
I like how the show shows the diversity within Islam. Notably, the series also sidesteps issues of stereotyping by having characters in both the Muslim and non-Muslim communities who cross the entire spectrum of political opinion. Conservative radio host Fred Tupper among the non-Muslims balances Baber and Fatima, who represent conservative views within Islam, while Amaar and Rayyan, who represent Islamic liberalism, are balanced by the liberal Anglican Rev. Magee. The more moderate Yasir and Sarah, who try to be good Muslims but aren't particularly strongly defined by their faith, are balanced among the non-Muslims by Mayor Popowicz, who doesn't care what anybody's religious beliefs are as long as they vote for her on election day. I think the tendency in America is to focus on radical fundamentalist Muslims and not take the time to realize that there are so many different points of view under the identity of Muslim. When one realizes this then Islamic identity becomes less of limitation and more of an opportunity for further dialogue.
The show is hilarious, but simultaneously a little depressing. Like when Amar was held at the airport. It's like the saying goes "it's funny because it's true" Laughing is a way to cope with the racism and stereotyping that is an unavoidable fact of life for many Muslims, especially Arab Muslims.
Overall I really enjoy the show. It is a fun way to look at the world from multiple new perspectives.
Zarqa Nawaz is the woman who created the Canadian sitcom series "Little Mosque on the Prairie." The show takes place in Mercy, a small fictional town in Canada, and makes fun of basically everyone who lives there. The townspeople are made stereotyped and laughed at, and so are the members of the very small Muslim community. The townspeople are largely viewed as ignorant, paranoid, and intolerant. The media are sensationalist and the like to stir up trouble in the town. The mayor is supportive of the Muslim community because she wants to secure their votes, and is another stereotype.
ReplyDeleteThe townspeople aren't the only ones being stereotyped, however. WIthin the Muslim community, all extremes are portrayed. First, there is Babar, who is a very conservative man that was the stand-in Imam until the new one, Ammar, arrived in town. Ammar quit his job as a lawyer to move to Mercy and run the mosque. He is a young, progressive thinker and has a fresh interpretation of Islam that he hopes to bring to the community. He is sort of like the male version of Riyan, the beautiful, opinionated, "2nd Generation" Muslim girl. She is western and flirty but still religious, and she wears a hijab. She is very confident and secure with herself and her religion. Her mother, Sarah, is a white woman who converted to Islam to marry her husband, Yasser. They are a moderate, happy couple who are sometimes accused by Babar of being secular. Sarah wears a hijab at the mosque but does not do so regularly, showing the variation of women within Islam and even within one family. Fatima, an older woman, is similar to Babar in that she is conservative. She owns a diner in town and jokes around with her customers, particularly the intolerant, sexist talk show host.
I really enjoy watching "Little Mosque on the Prairie." It offers a unique version of life as a Muslim that is real. While the show is comprised of people who are caricatures and it makes fun of different social issues that Muslims face, it also serves as a reminder that they deal with the same things that every other group of people deals with. They need to balance being western with being Muslim, like when Babar's daughter wants to buy new clothes and he is reluctant to let her do so. It shows the way kids like Riyan can become sophisticated, strong women while still being strongly religious- and dispels the myth that wearing a hijab means that you must be oppressed. I think that the show does a good job of portraying the Muslims in a positive light and shows that even though members of society may view them negatively, they are here to stay and build their own lives in both Canadian and American culture.
It cannot be denied that Little Mosque on the Prairie is a somewhat ridiculous show, but I personally think that it is brilliant. Not because the writing is so good, or the acting so wonderful, or the situations so heartfelt and realistic – but because the creators realize that the best way to combat prejudice and radicalism is by brutally and hilariously mocking it. A few students have said above that Little Mosque overdoes stereotypes, but I think this is what gives the show its strength! We cannot take these histrionic characters seriously, and because of this, we realize that we cannot take the real-world vices that they embody seriously either.
ReplyDeleteTake, for instance, the Talk Show Host. In reality men like him are terrifying! They spout their hatred over the airwaves to untold numbers of uneducated listeners and fill the world with ignorance and racism. Because they are so damaging to our society, there is a large measure of comfort in seeing them so obviously parodied. Humor is the strongest weapon, and the best way to remove the power from these people is by revealing their messages as what they are: false and ridiculous.
Or look at Bader, the religious zealot. While he is far more endearing and easily ignored than many of his real-life counterparts, his prejudices are just as injurious. He is zenaphonic, sexist, exclusive, and reactive to a fault. In real life, it is people like him that give Islam the bad name it holds with so many. However, including his character in the show is encouraging in many ways. Because he is a comic, almost bumbling character, it reiterates how foolish men like him are. It illustrates how ideas such as his are outdated and have no real place in the modern times. And most importantly, seeing the more progressive Muslims, like Rayyan and Amaar, take him on, we realize that Islam really can be adapted to a constantly evolving world.
In a way, the fact that he has such a good heart is also encouraging. It humanizes radicals like him even while poking fun at them.
This method is found in many of the other show’s characters: for example, the Mercy Chapel Janitor. The very first episode of Little Mosque finds the janitor accidentally stumbling upon a service at the converted chapel. Seeing a group of people kneeling and chanting in some sort of devil’s tongue, the hapless janitor does what many red-blooded Americans would do: He immediately thinks Jihad, terrorism, oh-god-they’re-working-for-Bin-Ladin, and he runs to the police. As hilarious and exaggerated as this scene was, there is no denying that, as I have said, there really are a lot of real-life people who would do the same. In fact, they would probably consider it their patriotic duty. And we, of course, would mock them and vilify them and criticize them.
But watching this poor frightened man stumble out of the mosque, thinking he has narrowly escaped with his life – can we really do anything more than pity him? Can we really hate him and call him a racist bigot? He is an uneducated, misinformed man seduced by talk of Evil Arabs, and seeing this so clearly makes us understand why our country is so willing to resort to falsities and stereotypes. Just as the show humanizes people like Bader, it forces us to sympathize with ignorant Westerners who are perpetuating the harmful stereotypes so pervasive in society today.
While many of our friends in Little Mosque are meant to arouse our sympathy and understanding, others are not used for such empathetic reasons. This does not make them any less constructive. Take, for instance, the Mayor of Mercy. The Mayor embodies the pragmatic politician who cares more about votes than truths. She’s willing to stand against Islam if it is what her conservative constituents want, and she is willing to stand tall with Islam if it yields her some other political gain. Her character impresses upon us the arbitrariness and shallowness that is often found in our political system, and makes us realize that laws and political decisions are not always motivated by wrong and right, good and evil, but often by who complains the loudest and who pays the most.
As I have said, I do not deny that Little Mosque on the Prairie is a silly show. That being said, I think it is also a brilliant show. It is not often that a program on mainstream television takes up such a controversial – and frankly, unpopular – topic and expounds upon it with such unapologetic humor. I think that if more people were willing to laugh over our differences and reveal the foolishness behind our beliefs and prejudices, the world would have to be a much more tolerant and open place.
For some reason my comment I just posted came up under the name of SaraBeth. But this it's Carolyn Cleveland who wrote it. I'm not really sure how to fix that so I figured I would just write this afterwards
ReplyDelete-Carolyn
Little Mosque on the Prairie is a comedic sitcom that airs in Canada. The show takes place in the small town of Mercy where different people of different backgrounds collide with conflict and comedy. The range of characters adds depth to the plots, and ultimately leads viewers to have a better understanding of diversity.
ReplyDeleteEach character struggles with their own individual point of view based on their faith and values, while getting along in a small town, living in a diverse larger society, and achieving their individual goals in life. Baber, the former Imam and conservative member of the community has a goal to make the mosque in Mercy more conservative. He campaigns for a physical barrier between the men’s and women’s section at the mosque, and is ultimately met with conflict from other members of the community. While his intentions are not to start conflict, he is not willing to compromise his beliefs. Baber’s daughter Layla has a different set of issues. She struggles with her conservative upbringing, and individual faith while trying to assimilate to the teenage culture that surrounds her at school and with her non-Muslim friends. There is also the character of Yasir. He is religious but moderate. His goal is to make the most money while running his construction company out of the mosque. Yasir’s goal is hard to accomplish because of the ignorance he meets from non-Muslims who come to conduct business with him in what is an unfamiliar environment to potential business partners. Rayyan, Yasir’s daughter, is more committed to her faith than her convert mother Sarah. Rayyan wears hijab, and has a strong religious background, yet her goal is to also achieve a feminist agenda. She has an inner conflict between her religion and feminist ideals. Yasir’s wife Sarah works on the re-election of Mercy’s mayor. The mayor’s goal is to gain votes no matter a person’s background. Her actions in the community have little to do with cultural differences, and more with selling her platform as a politician. Amaar is the new Imam. He struggles with his new life as Mercy’s Islamic religious leader, and his old life as a liberal lawyer from Toronto. His life in Toronto differs from his new life in Mercy because people were much more tolerant of diversity in a larger city. Amaar even deals with racism in an airport while traveling to Mercy.
Ultimately each character has an individual goal, but overall every character has the goal to live peacefully and have a functional diverse community. Differences in opinion arise, yet the comedic undertones soften the seriousness of conflict in this sitcom. I would recommend this show to anyone.
Ted Prettyman
ReplyDeleteLittle Mosque on the Prairie Review
The television show Little Mosque on the Prairie is a Canadian program that illustrates the challenges of the Muslim community in Canada and explores their issues in a comedic way. The show is a great tool for enlightening the general public on the wide range of issues that the community faces.
The show includes a wide cast of characters who each represent a different set of views and backgrounds. These characters range from Amaar, the young open-minded Imam, to Babar an older, more conservative Muslim who is new to Canada. Babar’s daughter, Layla represents the conflict between being Canadian and holding onto the values of her parents. Another character is Yasir, who is married to a convert to Islam, Sarah, who represents an Islamic feminist perspective. Their daughter, Rayyan, is a combination of many views, as a woman who chooses to wear the hijab but also engages with the world and is a successful young woman. One other important character to note is Fatima, a Muslim from Nigeria who holds fast to her traditional values and practices the kind of Islam that she experienced in Nigeria.
One aspect of the show is the wide range of issues that Muslims face in Canada. These issues are also ones that Muslims in America grapple with. On the issue of terrorism, the show cleverly satires the problems Muslims face while flying by showing Amaar having problems in the airport after saying “I’m not going to bomb,” referring to his new Imam job. The show also deals with the traditional dress that some Muslims wear. In one episode a number of protesters say that Islam is oppressive to women while Sarah points out to them that Fatima has the right to pray as she chooses. In another instance Fatima is working in the coffee shop she owns and local conservative talk-radio host Fred Tupper doesn’t tip for his coffee, saying, “…I tip for the lookin’, not the cookin’. Would it kill you Muslim gals to show a little cleavage now and then?” To which Fatima replies “would it kill you if I hit you with a cleaver?”
In the second episode of the show, called “The Barrier,” the series explores the issue of the division of men and women during prayer. When Baber tries to install a barrier in the mosque each character takes a different stance on the issue. Sarah and Rayyan oppose the barrier as offensive to women while Fatima, reflecting her traditional views, doesn’t oppose the barrier. For the men, Baber supports it while Yasir is reluctant to rock the boat. In the end the barrier remains but is reoriented so that both men and women have an equal view of the front of the mosque.
Another aspect of the show that is interesting is the relationship between the Muslim community and the church in which the mosque resides. The minister in the church is tolerant of the Muslims despite some of the suspicions his parishioners may have. What is more interesting is that while the mosque is depicted as part of a growing community, the church is portrayed as in decline. In a later episode in the series a higher-up in the church comes to visit and the minister asks the members of the mosque to stand in as his congregation so to give the impression that the church had a regular large attendance. The higher-up sees through this however, yet merely asks that his cut of the rent for the mosque be passed along. It is an interesting contrast between the Muslim community which is interested in being good adherents to the faith versus the Christian community which is concerned with attendance and financial issues.
Little Mosque on the Prairie is an entertaining way of exposing people to the issues that Muslims face while presenting the issues in a way that keeps people engaged and allows them to relate the issues to ones they may face in their everyday lives.
The Canadian sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie takes place in the small Canadian town of mercy, where a group of Muslims from different countries and walks of life have established their mosque. The first season opens with the congregation’s relocation to a rented room of a church and their search for a new Imam. The characters are diverse in their beliefs and backgrounds and the conflicts that arise from these differences help move the storyline along.
ReplyDeleteBaber and Fatima are traditional Muslim immigrants; Baber is an Arab Muslim and Fatima is from Africa. He is very traditional and set in his ways, almost to the point of fanaticism. He wants to be the head Imam and lead Juma and he also objects to the new Imam because he does not wear traditional dress and have a beard. In the words of his daughter, Baber has the “straight off the boat look”. He tries to follow Islam exactly and this causes a problem with his relationship with his daughter because he is adamant about her wearing the hijab when she reaches puberty. In one episode, she starts her period but hides this fact from her father because she doesn’t want to cover her hair and she knows that he will insist. She also mentions something about how her peers stare at her when she prays in school and how strange and uncomfortable it makes her feel. Baber’s daughter represents many teen and especially pre-teen girls who are Muslims from traditional homes living in a secular country and the struggles they face as such.
Fatima represents the traditional Muslim woman and the Black Muslim community. She wants to maintain Muslim traditions, especially during Ramadan. In the first episode, the congregation is celebrating Ramadan and Fatima is irritated and possibly even offended by the fact that one of the mosque members, a convert, wants to serve cucumber sandwiches instead of a traditional dish. In addition, she also supported a barrier being put up in the mosque to separate the prayer areas for men and women, something every other woman in the mosque opposed.
On the opposite end of the religious spectrum are Yasir and his family: wife Sarah and daughter Rayyan. Yasir was born a Muslim but sometimes it seems as though he is torn between tradition and the progression of the religion. I do think that Yasir leans toward being a slightly progressive Muslim because he hired a progressive Imam for his new mosque. Sarah is a white convert to Muslim and is a former member of the local church, whose reverend rents the space out for the mosque. Sarah seems rather ignorant to all the traditions of Islam with the cucumber sandwiches and frustration with the fact that the month of Ramadan changes every year. In the first episode she says “Why can’t we pick a month, like December”. However, I don’t think it’s that she doesn’t care about Islam or adhering to the traditions, I think it is the because she was raising knowing different and a part of her still wants to hold onto her traditions from her childhood. Rayyan is very progressive in her thought even though she wears the hijab. She is strong-willed, well-educated and can even be considered a feminist. When Baber tried to set up a barrier in the mosque, Rayyan was strongly opposed to it and was very vocal about her opinion. She is a representation of many young adult Muslims who were born in Western societies and who want to “modernize” Islam. Upon meeting Amaar, the new Imam, Rayyan says, “Great. Maybe you can bring us into the 12th century”.
Amaar is the new Imam at Mercy Mosque. He is a young, progressive, former lawyer from Toronto. Even though he is very knowledgeable about the Qur’an and Islam, he must prove himself, especially to Baber and Fatima. Amaar character is also used to address a situation that too many Muslims have encountered. While at the airport, preparing to board the plane to Mercy, Amaar is speaking with his mother on the phone using phrases like “it’s not I’m dropping a bomb on him here” and “[becoming and Imam] is not a suicide mission”. These phrases are taken out of context by a woman in the airport and she reports him to airport security, who takes him into questioning. This shows the over-reaction that sometimes occurs at airports when someone hears things spoken by someone who is Middle Eastern or someone who appears to be Middle Eastern, that can easily be taken out of context.
The final main character is Reverend McGee, the man who rents the room in his church for use as a mosque. Even though he could easily have been a stereotypical white islamaphobic Christian, he is rather understanding of his tenants. He tries to bridge the gap on behalf of the Christian church by attending iftaar and befriending Yasir and Amaar. Reverend McGee is a character who balances out all the other islamaphobic Christians in the town with their stares and remarks. He is also important in representing the portion of the population who do not fear Muslims, but are willing to work with them towards a common goal.
This sitcom is entertaining but at times the stereotypes become tired and slightly aggravating because the characters don’t deviate from these stereotypes. This also makes them seem two-dimensional.
Show Review: “Little Mosque on the Prairie” Elizabeth Zwaan
ReplyDelete“Little Mosque on the Prairie” is a sitcom about the fictional town of Mercy, Canada and their new mosque. I watched the first episode of this show and found it to be very funny while dealing with the serious issues found when opening a new mosque in a small town. The problem though is that it takes the stereotypes too much to the extreme that the serious issues addressed in the show are taken as too make-believe.
The story line is that a new mosque has opened up in the Church’s Parish Hall in town and a new imam is flying in from Toronto to help get it up and running and to lead the Muslim worshippers. The opening of the little mosque has caused quite a stir in the small Canadian town and even has the radio talk show host, Fred, in an up roar calling the new imam a “Johnny Jihadist”. Yasir, the head of the town’s construction company, has leased the Church’s Parish Hall from Reverend Magee under the pretense that it will be his new construction office. Meanwhile, Yasir tells his wife, Sara, a Muslim convert, his daughter, Rayyan, and the rest of the congregation that this is their new prayer hall. The town gossip begins when one of the men in the town walks into the Parish Hall to find Yasir to help him with his roof. Baber, the main fundamentalist in the group, is giving an extreme sermon talking about how the Desperate Housewives shouldn’t be desperate because they are only doing their “womanly duties” and about how American and Canadian Idol is wrong because they should not worship idols. The townsman sees all of the Muslims praying, hears Baber’s sermon and gets freaked out and runs outside to call the “Terrorist Hotline”. This misunderstanding happens because Yasir was trying to keep the mosque a secret. If he had just been up front with everyone, it would have been fine. Later in the episode, when the Reverend brings Yasir a new lease that reflects the true uses of the parish hall, Reverend Magee states he was just trying to do business because his congregation is getting smaller. He says he doesn’t mind having the mosque rent the Parish Hall. Yasir just assumed that it would be a problem.
The audience then gets a glimpse of the new imam, Amaar. He is in the airport waiting in line for his flight talking to his mother on the phone. While on the phone, he uses some phrases about “don’t dropping the bomb on my father”, “I am doing Allah’s will” and “I’m not throwing my life away”. Of course these are taken out of context because they are just referring to how his parents are taking his transition from former Toronto lawyer to an imam of a small town. The woman, a white Caucasian, in front of him in line freaks and goes to get the police. Amaar then spends much of the episode in the police holding room being interrogated by an extremely prejudicial police officer. At one point Amaar tells the officer to call the new mosque to show him that he is telling the truth. Of course, Yasir’s message machine picks up and he says that his construction company is “blowing the competition away”. This does not help the new imam’s case and adds another laugh to the show.
Although I think the idea of making a show about a mosque in a small town is a great idea, I don’t think that this type of show will cross the border into American television any time soon. Making fun of people to get a serious message across sometimes is seen as disrespectful. Even though the stereotypes are seen on all sides – the Muslims, the townspeople, the police, the Reverend – I think that all would have issues with how they are portrayed. Most of the time these stereotypes are true in the real world, but people do not like to have themselves called out as being that way even if only in a television show.
The Little Mosque on the Prairie is a Canadian sitcom that puts a humorous light on the trials and tribulations that face a new Mosque in a small town. The subjects that face the fictional characters may be exaggerated, but they are not completely fabricated by the show’s writers. Much of the Muslim population to some extent must deal with the issues comically portrayed by the characters.
ReplyDeleteCharacterization is an important element to the show. Each character, although exaggerated for television, plays a version of real people that are found in modern Mosques. Babar is the Mosque’s former Imam and plays the fundamentalist. He is a chauvinist and therefore not easily excepting of woman in leadership roles at the mosque or of non-Muslims in general. Ammar, the new Imam couldn’t be more different. He is very accepting of more liberal and modern views of Islam, and practices them with the congregation. Unlike the old Imam, Ammar is clean-shaven and does not cover his head. These two individuals represent the dichotomy of Imams in the Muslim world.
Another character is Yasser. He is a secular Muslim that has intergraded with the white community. I believe he represents a growing population of Muslims in America. Yasser even married a non-Muslim white woman, Sarah. She is an interesting character. Sarah converted to Islam but practices it very minimally. She wears a hijab but only while at the mosque and it seems like she’s simply trying to make things work and fit in with her community and family. Many converts are in the same position as Sarah. Yasser and Sarah have a daughter, Riyan. She is a confident and opinionated second generation Muslim. Although she has been considerably influenced by western culture, she is a strong believer in the Muslim faith. She consistently wears a hijab and is an active member of the mosque. She also is a feminist. She rejects the attitudes held by members such as Babar and strives to create equality in her culture despite traditional attitudes.
The other members of the community are just as important as the Muslim community in understanding the realistic elements of the show. There is a prominent conservative talk show host, much like members of Fox News, who spreads hate and intolerance. Many people in the town buy into his demagoguery and therefore fear the Muslims. Other members of the media that show up are just as ignorant, taking pictures and writing sensationalist stories. Conversely, the priest is a well-informed individual who holds no preconceptions about his Muslim tenants. He has been humbled by the lack of his own congregation and is in favor of religiosity no matter what form it takes. All of these characters while extreme versions do represent real people.
Many of the events on the show are also real problems that affect the Muslim community. In the first episode when Ammar is moving to become the new Imam, he has to travel via plane. This proves to be more of an issue than Ammar wants to believe. He inadvertently said the word bomb and then is arrested by the airport police. The police are very rough with him and therefore he is a victim of racial profiling.
Another issue they deal with is the question of a barrier between the male and female praying areas. Babar, the fundamentalist feels that this is necessary while Riyan the feminist-liberal feels that the barrier is an atrocity. Balancing equal rights in Mosques is now on the forefront of their agenda. While in real life this problem has had countless solutions, on the show the barrier is put up half way to appease everyone.
By putting situations like these in a humorous light, the Little Mosque on the Prairie is able to deal with serious and important issues plaguing the Muslim community. It is a well-produced show that has gained a large fan base while it’s been on the air in Canada. By using ethnic humor, this show has broadened people’s horizons and enabled others to start vital dialogues on the issues addressed in the episodes.
The series Little Mosque on the Prairie is a sarcastic yet very realistic portrayal of Muslim life in western civilization, in particular Canada. Although the show is a bit exaggerated, some of the events exaggerated are actually quite real. The series attempts to show contrasting conservative Islamic views (through Fatima and Baber), and more liberalized Islamic views (through Rayyan and Amaar). Fatima and Baber are typical conservative Muslims whereas Rayyan and Amaar are more modern, liberalized Muslims and the show did a great job portraying those differences. However, the show is not a bunch of fabricated stereotypes, it actually draws from real life challenges that Muslims face when moving to Western societies, such as family, school, raising children, friends, and other themes that tie into Muslim life in Canada.
ReplyDeleteThe director of the show does a wonderful job of attempting to break down barriers and alleviate stereotypes through a TV series like “Little Mosque on the Prairie.” The distinct roles each character plays in the show makes it easy for the viewer to grasp fully what life may be life for Muslims, but also non-Muslims alike, living in the same community. Rayyan portrays the younger modern Muslim while also holding Western feminist ideals. Fatima (and Baber) on the other hand is an older generation, conservative Muslim who identifies solely within her religion. Yasir and Sarah perhaps play my favorite characters because they together make up such an important aspect of the show: that Muslim and non-Muslim people can live a solid and healthy lifestyle; with or without religious backing. Babar’s daughter Layla is an interesting part of the series also because she portrays your typical young Canadian teenager who is into clothes, music, friends, and boys; while still trying to maintain her Muslim identity. Layla’s situation put into perspective the challenges young Muslim Canadians/Americans face when growing up with an Islamic faith and identity.
Moreover, I think this show is a big leap towards helping American/Canadians better understand and trust the Muslim community that is ever growing around us. With shows like this, I think stereotypes, distrust, and lack of dialogue will slowly start to turn around and hope for a more peaceful world can be sought. I really enjoyed watching this series in class, and I only hope more and more Americans, especially young Americans, can be exposed to a show like Little Mosque on the Prairie.
“Film Review” – Little Mosque on the Prairie
ReplyDeleteThe Canadian sitcom “Little Mosque on the Prairie” is hilarious, not just for its comedic timing but for the hypocrisies and stereotypes that are exposed throughout the series. The sitcom is centered around the life of a mosque within a small Canadian town. Reverend McGee allows the Muslim community to share his church property for their religious practices. He is a very tolerant man who appears interested in learning about Islam. He is constantly shown lamenting the lack of attendance at his church services and the lack of overall participation and activism within the Christian community. I believe that Reverend McGee is an important part of the story depicted in this series. It shows that Christian fervor is waning, while the Muslim community is actively working to establish itself within the community.
The establishment of a mosque has the Canadian community in an uproar. Outside the mosque we see feminist women protesting the religious garb of the Muslim women and attempting to “save them from oppression.” After watching a couple of episode, viewers know for a fact that these Muslim women are in no way oppressed and choose their outer expression of religious devotion willingly. Within the community is also a radio announcer that makes bigoted remarks and plays of the people’s xenophobic fears. The way people respond to a Muslim presence in their town depicts the unfounded hysteria and ignorance found within the United States as well.
While the sitcom does a great job demonstrating the attitudes of Canadian society, it also excels in depicting the racial stereotypes found within Islam itself. Babar is a Muslim that is quite fundamentalist, Fatimah is an African Muslim that is very traditional and practices an ethnically-infused version of Islam. Ammar and Rayyan are of a younger generation and practice a highly intellectual and progressive form of Islam. Sarah is the wife of Yasser and is a Caucasian convert to Islam who struggles with shedding her past identities and incorporating Islamic practices into her lifestyle. Each of these characters represents a different stereotype about Islam: they are either too conservative, too traditional, etc. However, many people believe these stereotypes to be universal about each Muslim and “Little Mosque on the Prairie” does an exception job depicting each Muslim as unique.
Each episode describes a different conflict occurring in the life of the mosque. Most often these conflicts are disagreements among the Muslim community member who want to see the Islamic faith practiced in conflicting ways. At Ramadan, Fatimah wants to prepare her traditional food while Sarah wants to make her “famous” cucumber sandwiches. Baber wants to erect a wall relegating the women to the back of the church, while Rayyan insists on praying along side the men. After watching these episodes, it became clear to me that there is not just a struggle between Muslims and their host country, but also struggles within the Muslim community as well – a healthy dialogue about how Islam should be practiced. Therefore, it is a major error that “outsiders” make in formulating blanket statements about all Muslims.
Zarqa Nawaz’s Little Mosque on the Prairie is a phenomenal Canadian sitcom which practically any Muslim can relate to. Nawaz creates a fictional town called Mercy which is located in Ontario Canada. This town consist of a small Muslim community which is in its infant stage of development. Though the population is fairly small it is extremely diverse. The highly conservative characters are Fatima and Baber. Amaar and Rayyan are considered to be the more liberal/moderate characters in the show.
ReplyDeleteMany people feel that shows such as Little House in the Prairie are vital for America and Canadians today. The show to a certain extent can possibly educate the viewers of North America on Islam and possibly diffuse any tension held against American and Canadian Muslims.
In would have to disagree with Ezekiel. It seems the show does a wonderful job of displaying the primary stereotypes of the politics that under go at a mosque. Personally as a Muslim I find it quite entertaining. The director of the show does an phenomenal job at recreating real life issues that Muslims in America face such as the issue regarding the separation of men and women within the mosque by the use of a wall/barrier. It seems the general American public would find this show much more appealing if the director incorporated issues such as marriage and dating in the show. This is a common issue for many Muslims throughout the United States.
Little Mosque on the Prairie is a series that is based in Canada and shown on Canadian Television (CTV). This series depicts the everyday lives of a group of Muslims in a small, predominantly non-Muslim town. This series goes through the trials and tribulations that many Muslims have to go through and endure. In one of the first episodes, Amaar, the new Imam, is in the airport and is pulled aside for a special security check because the woman behind him in line believed that he was a terrorist. The series also goes into detail about how the non-Muslims in the town view the Islamic traditions. There is a local radio station whose host, Fred Tupper, is oblivious to the fact that Muslims are people just like everyone else. Tupper makes derogatory comments and often openly wonders why women allow themselves to become oppressed. Whenever this radio show is on, the Muslims in the scene are automatically insulted and explain the reasoning behind all of the accusations of negative doings that the host had shot towards them. The show discusses the relationship between young Muslims and traditional parents. Baber is a traditional Muslim who wants his daughter, Layla to wear the hijab but is questioning himself as to whether or not he should persuade her to choose to do so. Another interesting character is Fatima. Fatima is a traditional Muslim woman from Africa. Fatima is does not appreciate Tupper’s remarks and is not afraid to share that with people. Fatima owns a café and though she is a very conservative Muslim, she understands the modern culture and is a nice liaison between the two. Yasir, Sarah and Rayyan make up a family on Little Mosque on the Prairie that is very interesting. Yasir is essentially the head of the Muslim community in this town. Yasir was the one who was responsible for finding space for their mosque and is often come to with problems. Yasir loves his faith and community as well as his wife and daughter. Sarah, Yasir’s wife, is a Muslim convert. Sarah converted to Islam from Christianity when she married Yasir. Sarah works for the mayor, who is often confused about what the Muslim religion really believes in. Sarah is very devout, often even more than her husband, but never as much so as her daughter, Rayyan. Rayyan is extremely intune with her religious beliefs, as well as being a feminist. Rayyan wears the hijab and is proud to do so. Rayyan is a doctor who still lives at home, and like Fatima, has a no non-sense attitude. Overall, this television series is a comical depiction of Muslim life in a small Candaian town. I really enjoyed the episodes that we watched in class and would recomend this show to others.
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ReplyDeletePower went out in library...ugh..have to start over
Ken
Little Mosque on the Prairie is a sitcom that explores the identity Muslims hold in the eyes of many Americans. Through the excessive use of over-portrayal of stereotypes, Little Mosque on the Prairie is a sitcom that may seem very common, yet eye-opening to the American public.
ReplyDeleteIn the first episode, Ammar Rashid, a successful attorney had been hired to be the new imam in the small Muslim community of Mercy. As he prepares to fly to Mercy from Toronto, he encounters a number of stereotypes in the airport. As he is standing in line to check in, he is on the phone talking about the rationale of leaving his practice and becoming the religious leader of this small community. During his conversation, a fellow passenger, who is white, becomes alarmed when Ammar uses phrases such as “I’ve been planning this for months. It’s not like I dropped a bomb on them” and “This is Allah’s plan for me.” While he is talking about his departure from his law firm, not being a suicide bomber, the white passenger becomes alarmed because of Ammar’s identity as a Muslim and his use of the word “bomb” in an airport. While he is obviously not a terrorist, the white woman is still taken back by the comment, leaves the check-in line, and reports Ammar to the authorities.
While this is an over-dramatic account, I believe this is an actual rationale that many members of our society hold. I remember flying right after September 11th, I saw a person wearing a turban waiting to board the aircraft. I could have cut the tension in the terminal with a chainsaw because it felt like every person waiting to board this flight was watching this gentleman’s every move. Regardless of his upbringing, his nationality, or his story, people immediately linked the turban to terrorism. While this show is a comedy, it still does play a large role in identifying many of the religious stereotypes our society has against the Muslim society.
As we went through the many episodes of Little House on the Prairie, I also saw a huge connection between age and the issues of difference and diversity. In the town of Mercy, the Muslim community “spectrum” has two ends. An older, more conservative end where Babar ad Fatina would stand, and a younger, more progressive end where Ammar and Riyan would stand. While they still worship and coexisted in the same community, I was very interested on their vision of Islam and how it should be practiced in Mercy. An example that struck me was the attempt of Babar to have a barrier erected to separate the men from the women during worship. While the traditionalists agreed with its construction, citing that it would bring privacy to the mosque, the younger population disagreed citing discrimination and women being treated as “second class citizens.” I was struck with the notion that while both sides saw each other as being wrong, I could see merit in both arguments. While the conservatives were trying to maintain the age-old traditions of Islam, the younger crowd was trying to adapt the society to conform to the issues of the modern day. This difference over the vision of Islam is a struggle that I believe is not just confined to the community of Mercy. The struggle between generations is found not only at my kitchen table between my parents and I, but I believe in every community in America.
Little Mosque on the Prairie is a TV show that not only brings a comedic look at the bitter stereotypes society has placed on the Muslim populations since the events of 9/11, but also serves as a call for unification. By showing both populations that there is not much difference between the two, such as fights between generations, Little House on the Prairie serves as a call for conversation and interfaith dialogue. The diversity of our society took a major hit as the Twin Towers fell, and this show is a good step in the right direction in mending this precious relationship.
In the little town of Mercy in Canada, trouble is brewing. We have all heard about the radical Islamists who find sanctuary within Canada's borders, plotting to either terrorize our Northern Neighbors or to cross our lax border security and try to strike at America herself. It is here that we find Babar, a known conservative Muslim, trying to bully progressive Muslims into his ultra-conservative view point, perhaps even espousing jihad behind closed doors to his Jellabiya clad posse. Perhaps the FBI is aware, as there is a caucasian woman named Sarah within his Mosque who seems to be well informed of his efforts.
ReplyDeleteReally, Sarah is a convert to Islam of many years ago. Married to Yasir, the man who set up both his construction company and the mosque within the same church, they have raised a beautiful and successful daughter, Rayyan. Though Yasir is much more in control of the mosque, than say the hard-line Babar whose conservatism is downplayed as quaint and old-fashioned, Yasir is very moderate and averse to conflict.
His first step at avoiding conflict is to bring in a new Imam - Amar, who is also moderate and progressive. Rayyan, the modern but veiled young woman, seems much more in line with Amar's views than anyone elses. Sarah seems to love her Husband more than she really believes in Islam. Fatima was raised with tradition, and thus tends to side more with Babar than the other Muslims in town and is equally stubborn. Sarah's boss, the mayor, seems to want to get on the good side of this new voting bloc and works constantly to not offend anyone. Though some of her asides to Sarah might be a little risque for Babar's tastes, Sarah's relaxed attitude toward Islam lets it slide. The talk show host and the media in general work in tandem to create the type of hype and Islamophobia that we in general can see today. They might print articles that read like my opening paragraph and really just serve to inflame the sensibilities of the community. In the battle for women's rights, the community rallies behind the Muslim women, who do not want to be treated like they need help handling their own men.
Though entertaining and educating, Little Mosque on the Prairie leaves much to be desired. Yes, it does smooth over tense relations by using stereotypes and humor, but it also makes light of serious situations - especially people like Babar. It is great that the pastor of the church is accepting of Islam and everyone can laugh off that they believed all Muslims were terrorists. The media's sensationalism and quotes out of contexts made for an especially entertaining episode. It's true that the vast majority of Muslims don't condone terrorism in any context. At the same time, however, people like Babar in the role of Imam is trivialized in this show. Fortunately, he is not ultra radical wahabbi, but instead just a mild, stubborn conservative that has reservations about discussing certain topics with his daughter. However, there is a dangerous ideological disease that is spreading in some Muslim circles that has led to violence in other Western Nations, most notably Britain. I felt like the show dealt with many issues by spinning them in a humorous light, setting up a straw man to depict how ridiculous some concerns are without dealing with the actual discussion behind some things, like bringing in a foreign-educated Imam.
It takes tough people to survive hot, dusty summers and frigid, blizzard wracked long winters out on the prairies of central Canada.
ReplyDeleteOr, some would say, it takes off-the-wall, nutty, tongue-in-cheek misfits to make sense out of isolated prairie life. Heck, why not just turn the prairie dwellers into a weekly sitcom community and let the screen writers have a satirical heyday, plopping social messages into scripts after every advertising break?
"Little Mosque on the Prairie"is one way that Canadian creative gurus have addressed Canadian Muslim immigrant issues alongside dominant culture foibles. Instead of cigar-chompin' southern sheriff's of the South, we have a zenophobic radio announcer who sees 'red peril or Crescent peril' at every person with a non-English or non-Irish sounding name that arrives in town.
And yes, throw in generational disputes, tradition vs progress, with your choice of Muslim or Christian playful antagonists. It always plays well to also have a running battle-of-the-sexes theme, as it does a fickle politician, and a reformer or two.
Materialism vs theology, feminism vs patriarchy etc...we now have the template for a wildly amusing sitcom with a politically incorrect nuance. Poking fun at its American neighbor's almost iconic "Little House on the Prairie" blockbuster television series, this Canadian version of life on the prairie addresses sensitive social issues with good-natured buffoonery. A liberal new Imam (Amaar) is subjected to a police search/inspection because he is racially profiled by a hysterical local woman, unaccustomed to foreign looking guys. This sets the tone for spoofing the local yokels who seem to abundantly inter-breed, prairie style.
But wait, just when it seems we're headed toward local bashing, up pop Baber and Fatima,Muslim relatives of Archie and Edith Bunker. Traditionalists culturally and fundamentalists spiritually they jockey for chief enforcer of Muslim traditions. But even
Baber equivocates about whether his daughter Layla should have to wear the hijab...showing himself capable of reasoning and compromise.
Yasir is central to the series as he is the contractor who has arranged to change the church into a mosque, and negotiates different off-setting deals to keep everyone happy. His wife, a somewhat negotiating convert to Islam, plays the battle-of-the- sexes card whenever she feels she isn't winning an important request. Their daughter Rayyan plays an important role as dedicated convert, feminist, doctor who still lives at home. She just happens to be smitten with the new Imam.
What is deliciously attractive about this series is the manner in which we observe dominant and immigrant culture in the merging or compromising stages. We see the players on both sides at their best, at their stereotyped worst, and always...being very, very funny as they remind us that people are people...and the things that make us angry or sad can also make us laugh if somewhere along the process, someone remembers what Oscar Wilde said so eloquently:" Life is too important to be taken seriously."
This is a very clever way to teach a class about Islam and the life of immigrants and their neighbors.
“Little Mosque on the Prairie” is a Canadian sitcom that focuses on the comedic outlook of a small Muslim community interacting with the citizens of a little prairie town named Mercy. It performs as a type of microcosm, where, once you get past the (hilarious) stereotypes, it could very well represents the situation of a new Muslim community in a small town in America.
ReplyDeleteBaber Siddiqui is the most conservative Muslim in town. He doesn’t handle change well, and the results are often dramatic and yet comic. We see this in the pilot episode, when the new Imam comes to Mercy, and Baber, who was acting as interim imam, feels eclipsed and replaced. However, what we learn little by little is that he is actually a real softy. In a heated (yet comic) dispute over the barrier in the prayer room, he accidentally grabs Rayyan’s arm. He immediately stops what he is doing and apologizes. A further indication of not only his soft side, but how uncomfortable he is around women, is the manner in which he deals with his daughter. Since his divorce a few years back, he has been raising his daughter, Layla, as a single father. Layla experiences many of the identity issues common to first generation immigrants and often feels that she and her father do not connect. When her menses start, Baber wants that she start wearing the hijab, but since he was snooping around in her room when he ascertained that she had started her period, he is completely dumbfounded about how to raise the issue. Although he is a conservative Muslim, he will not force his daughter to wear the headscarf; he wants it to be her decision. Granted, he is very strict on how short her shorts can be and how revealing is too revealing when it comes to his teenage daughter’s clothing, but that is certainly not out of the ordinary.
Two characters that I think are very interesting and significant that have so far been underrepresented are Fatima Dinssa and Duncan McGee. Fatima represents the traditionalist Muslim whose actions are guided by tradition, rather than logic or theology, and Duncan represents the possible ease of interfaith dialogue and understanding.
ReplyDeleteFatima Dinssa is the traditionally-dressed Nigerian-Canadian Muslim who runs the local café owner in town. She has an interesting and somewhat underrepresented role in the series (from what we’ve seen so far, anyway) in which she plays the important role of representing the Muslim traditionalist. She is not the conservative Muslim that we find in the character Baber. In one episode, the issue arose regarding building a barrier between the men and women in the mosque. Following her role as the traditionalist, Fatima was immediately in favor of the barrier, as her actions and positions are often guided by the conditions in which she grew up.
Duncan McGee is the Anglican minister of Mercy who rents the property to the Muslims so that they can have their own mosque. His role, much like that of Fatima, is significant to the issue of Muslim-American (or in this show Muslim-Canadian) relations, but is eclipsed by the more stereotypic, comedic roles in the series. His role is meaningful, as it shows the ease of interfaith cooperation. In addition, his role is the foil of the Fred (the town’s very own bigot) because he preaches love, toleration, and acceptance, and he shares a special bond of friendship with the new Imam of Mercy.
Ann Popowicz represents the secular, pragmatic Westerner. She takes interest in the community when she sees that their growing presence in Mercy has the possibility of translating into votes in the future. She, as far as we can see, pushes aside any and all stereotypes and comfort zones of hers in order to pursue a positive and beneficial relationship with the Muslim community in Mercy.
Yasir Hamoudi is very pragmatic, much like Ann Popowicz. He runs a construction company out of the mosque. However, he is the Muslim version of her. He makes a concerted effort to follow his religious guidelines daily. I think that we see that, for him, there is a bit of a split between his everyday life and his religion and he struggles with this a bit at times. In the couple of episodes that we have seen, he has to choose between prioritization of his business and the affairs of the mosque. I think that his daily effort to balance living a normal, modern, Canadian life and being an active and devout part of the religious community make his role a good representative of the average modern, moderate Muslim.
Sarah Hamoudi is the wife of Yasir; she converted when they married. She is another interesting character. Her devoutness may vary between as relaxed as her husband or nearly as devout as her daughter. She grew up all of her life on the prairie in Mercy, and she works for the Mayor on Public Relations. Personally, I am not totally convinced by her conversion for a couple of reasons. I believe that if you accept a religion, it is either because you were brought up with in that religion and it has become fused with your identity OR because you believe in it with all of your heart. If you convert from your existing religion to another religion, you must have had a life-changing experience that made you convert, or “realize the truth path,” as some religions would put it. However, if someone converts for love, it’s not a real conversion. It may be on paper and in the eyes of the community and in practice, but I am not convinced by Sarah that she is now a real Muslim. I think that when she got married and converted for her husband, she just saw it as a shift in tradition. Instead of celebrating Jesus, she would celebrate Muhammed as her prophet, and instead of Christmas, she would now celebrate Ramadan. I think that she’s just going through the motions and performing as a Muslim like she think she ought to.
ReplyDeleteRayyan Hamoudi, the daughter of Yasir and Sarah, is the stereotypical voice of the feminist, liberal, progressive women. She also happens to be Muslim. Rayyan is a doctor. She is intelligent, well-spoken, and she fights for what she believes in. Basically, she’s a bit sassy. At the same time, she is more devout in her religion than her parents. I personally think that Rayyan was given too much screen time in proportion to the importance of her role. Although her father is Lebanese, her mother is (indigenous) Canadian, so she doesn’t have to go through the challenges of identity common to first generation Muslim immigrants.
Imam Ramaar Rashid’s role has so far been the problem solver and representative of the mosque. He is friendly, open, and has good comedic timing. We haven’t learned much about him yet, except for the fact that he quit his job as a lawyer to pursue religious studies in order to become an imam.
Little Mosque on the Prairie is a sitcom set in the small, “average” Canadian town of Mercy. There is a small population of Muslims in Mercy, and the show deals with their life and struggles in being both Canadian and Muslim.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most interesting elements of the show is the character development. The many different views and identities reflected in the personalities of the characters in Little Mosque on the Prairie really illustrate that Islam is not a monolithic entity, and being Muslim does not always define ones views or values.
For example, the Imam of the mosque is Amaar Rashid. While he is certainly religious, he is young, progressive, and has liberal views of Islam. Amaar is usually called to resolve the conflicts that arise in the mosque, and is he is forced to deal with the conflict between traditional Islamic customs and the way of life in mainstream America in the 21st century.
Amaar was called by Yasir, who is a secular Muslim and has adapted very well into typical American culture. Often his business and family interests come before his religious obligations. Many Muslims in America are secular, and there are many different degrees to which the religion is practiced.
Yasir’s wife, Sarah, converted to Islam, has a background that most Mercy residents would consider to be “normal.” Although I am unsure of statistics in Canada, it is well known that more and more people in America are converting to Islam. While she has good intentions, Sarah seems to be learning about Islam as she goes, and sometimes has trouble getting rid of her old customs (cucumber sandwiches) for new ones. She does not often wear a hijab, only donning it for her attendances at the mosque.
Sarah and Yasir’s daughter, Rayyan, is much more religious than her parents. Rayyan is a feminist, and also wears a hijab in public at all times. This may seem to be an interesting contradiction to many Americans, for often the hijab as seen as a symbol of oppression of women. Rayyan’s strong will and personality, and obvious decision to wear the hijab herself (based on the less religious attitudes of her parents), squashes these false stereotypes. She is also a doctor, which is seen as a very successful and valued career in American society. She has also seamlessly integrated her American and Muslim identities without compromising either one. She has held on to her religious customs and traditions, yet is also a modern American woman. As such she is quite the role model for other Muslims in the western world.
Another strong female character in the show is Fatima. Fatima represents that very large segment of African Muslims in the western world. Fatima is conservative and a traditionalist, showing that just because one lives in 21st century Canada it doesn’t mean they have to adopt new modern values and interpretations. Fatima owns her own diner, proving that she can also be successful.
The former Imam in the Mercy mosque before Amaar’s arrival was Baber. Baber is an orthodox Muslim, and sometimes even professes radical views.. His character is important in reflecting the range of different views and attitudes that western Muslims possess. Baber has a young daughter, Layla, who is going through adolescence. Baber is torn between his conservative ways and raising his daughter in a very westernized environment.
All of these different characters are extremely important because they depict very different attitudes towards their religion and mainstream western society. Many American citizens view Muslims as all one identity, as seen after September 11th. Many Muslims in America were discriminated against, and stereotypes were created against them as terrorists and bombers. Islam was depicted as only radical extremism. Little Mosque points out many of these stereotypes are makes fun of them. For example, the slogan for Yasir’s contracting business is “We’ll blow the competition away!” The characters illustrate the differences among Muslims, and educate viewers not only about Islam but also about different ways to be a Muslim.
Review of "Little Mosque on the Prairie" (PART 1/2)
ReplyDeleteSara Rosenbaum
(p.s Carolyn may have posted under my name if I was logged in on her computer- sorry Carolyn!)
“Little Mosque on the Prairie” is a show ridden with bad acting, poor writing, and predictable jokes and stereotypes, but despite its faults I actually found myself amused at its simplicity and enjoyed watching the few episodes we watched in class. In a show dealing with the subject of a Muslim community in a western society, in this case a small Canadian town, one might expect a controversial show dealing with serious political subjects. Instead of seeing conflicts with political overtones, “Little Mosque” explores debates that might actually exist within the Muslim community in a small town, including where to pray, how traditional to make their mosque, and feminist arguments. “Little Mosque” also explores some aspects of how the non-Muslim citizens deal with the expansion of the Muslim community in their area in a predictable fashion. Overall, I think that this gives the show some validity because the reactions seen in the town where the show is set most likely shows some realistic reactions to a growing Muslim community in a small town.
Some of the reactions of non-Muslims to the Muslims on the show are probably some what realistic. In the first episode they show the new young Imam, Amaar, in the airport on his way to his new post at the town’s mosque. In the airport Amaar is talking on the phone and the people behind him hear part of his conversation and automatically think he is a terrorist boarding the plane. At this point, he is taken away by security and questioned. This racial profiling has been a huge grievance of Muslims going through airport security since 9/11 and it is only natural that a show focusing on Muslims in a western country incorporated this into their plot, even if it was exaggerated for the purpose of comical relief. Another example of a stereotypical reaction intended for a comical reaction is when a man stumbles into the mosque, which is a church on the other days of the week, while the Muslims are praying and he runs out, obviously determined that some sort of evil and terrorist activity is taking place.
The radio host in the town is another example of the blatant ignorance of the typical white Islamiphobe. He constantly makes offensive generalizations about the Muslim community over the air for the whole town to hear. It seems the whole town follows what this guy has to say regardless of his intolerance. His role is more realistic than one may think at first when you think about the ignorant and offensive comments that famous radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh make all the time.
I think the writers also made the founding of the mosque similar to how it would be in real life in a small town with a growing Muslim community. The mosque in the show is located in a church that they rent out with permission from the reverend. I think the reverend is a good character. A religious man himself, he understands the Muslim community’s search for a place to come together for prayer.
(PART 2/2)
ReplyDeleteI think the conflicts within the Muslim community are interesting and probably not far off from what would take place in a small community coming from many different backgrounds. In western countries, Muslims are coming together from different places and have different ideas about the way religion should be practiced. There is naturally going to be a difference in ideology between the older generation who were most likely born in a Muslim country and the younger generation who have assimilated more into secular culture. This is epitomized by disagreements such as if there should be a barrier between men and women while praying, the central plot of the second episode. The characters of Baber and Fatima are of the older generation and the difference in their thoughts on tradition and piousness are clearly expressed. Baber is the first one in his family to move to Canada from Pakistan. His views are conservative and he is supposed to portray the stereotype of the extremist, pro-male versions of Islam. Fatima is the African-Muslim of the community, and she is also very expressive of her traditionalist views. In contrast, the young Imam Amaar and the young woman in the show, Rayyan, show a more progressive a modern outlook of Islam.
Rayyan portrays the modern American/Canadian Muslim- she is well educated, confident, and enjoys living in the west. She loves her religion because she has the choice to love it, and wears the hijab because she chooses to even though she is very adamant about her feminist views. She, along with her convert mother Sarah, argues in the second episode for there to be no separation between men and women while praying. On the other hand, Baber and Fatima are unmoving in their argument to keep a separation between the sexes. Amaar makes a final decision to keep half a barrier so those who choose to can be separate. This makes no one happy and causes them to remark that of course “it’s the perfect Muslim solution- no one is happy.”
One of my favorite scenes that we saw in class was when Baber’s young daughter is trying to get her outfit for a race approved by her father. Even though she is thirteen years old and attends public schools and is used to secular life, she knows what her father’s reaction would be if she tried to leave the house in regular running clothes of shorts and a t-shirt. Because she anticipated her fathers’ reaction, she knows how to play it out so he lets her run in the race. Hilariously, she starts out wearing a belly shirt and shorts to shock her father and then gets more and more modest from there. Eventually she comes out wearing sweatpants and a jacket, which Baber finds suitable compared to her skimpy first attempt, and she is allowed to participate.
It’s not that the characters of the younger generation like Rayyan and Amaar are less caring about their religion than Baber and Fatima; the difference lies simply in that they were raised in a western country and have adopted a more liberal interpretation of Islam. I think they probably represent a growing number of young people in America. I see lots of Muslim students walking around campus that choose to wear their hijab- not because someone is forcing them to but because that is their chosen religious identity. They are still incorporating themselves into a secular society but keep their religion close to their heart. I think this is a natural development for the Muslim population in western civilization. What we saw of “Little Mosque on the Prairie” was enjoyable, and if I find myself with free time this summer I would like to see what happens to the characters we met in class.
Little Mosque on the Prairie is a T.V show set around a mosque converted from a church in the Mid-West. This mosque had all of the stereotypes one would have when people are not educated about the Islamic Faith coupled with lack of understanding of Muslims in America. This show has a funny way of incorporating these typecasts into characters that may be seen from the point of view of mass indifference especially after 9/11. For example the character Boyd Banks the local farmer was the typical mid western good old’ boy that thought of Muslims as terrorists and easily pigeonholed them. His character is someone that clearly is uneducated about the Islamic religion. His character got the point across but is depicted almost as a caricature and I could see the public insulted at this depiction as if to say all Americans feel this way.
ReplyDeleteThen there is the wife Sarah, the former Anglican American woman married to Yasir who converted to Islam for her husband. She plays the willing role of wife but by no means allows her husband to run the show. Sure, she is the doting wife and mother to an extent but knows exactly what to say to get her way. Another words she will speak her opinion, and she is not at all what is represented in traditional Muslim faith. She is not subservient but its as if she is going along with the religion as a an afterthought as she does not seem deep rooted in it. She does not where the hijab and she seems in the first episode nonchalant about the duties toward the Islamic Faith. However, she does have conviction as in the barrier that was put up to separate the women from the men when the ever-traditional type cast character of Baber comes into play. Yet, his daughter who does not yet wear the hijab is a soft spot for Baber and the young daughters normal dress is a contradiction in terms of how Baber acts out in the mosque. After all, he wants the barrier put in place as to make a point of true faith of Islam. The women of course did not like this as they protested and thought that it felt as if they were back in the stone ages. Rayyan the daughter of Sarah and Yasir, like her mother is as feisty as well rooted in conviction and she is educated as a doctor and an Islamic feminist. She does wear the hijab and is rooted in her Islamic faith but poses the question of why indifference with different people and religions. She and her mother would set her father straight on what it meant to be a woman in Islam. The wife clearly not giving her husbands any loving until he took the wall down, a way of using intimate relations as a way for Sarah to get her way in this matter. Which brings me back to this point, this was her strategy of getting through to the man who allowed this to happen. Of course, all of this is in fun, but clearly, it did the trick the wall was taken down.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePart 2 of 2:
ReplyDeleteI only wish that the writers of this television show would incorporate more drama instead of following the typical sitcom format. I would be ecstatic if this was an hour-long dramedy or if another show was created that presented similar situations and stereotypes in a more serious light because I think it is important for the general public to see and understand a more realistic version of Muslim lives in the West. By laughing everything off, viewers have a more difficult time understanding the brevity of some of the situations that many Muslims experience in Western counties. I understand that a serious show about western Muslims may not be profitable, so by no means do I expect the producers of this series to have an obligation to the Muslim community to portray the lives of Muslims in a serious manner. Little Mosque on the Prairie is already advancing the status of Muslims, but I believe a more serious show would further elevate the Muslim community into the mainstream stratum.
The series “Little Mosque on The Prairie” attempts to satire Muslims living within a non-Muslim country, in this case Canada. The show is a sitcom comedy that dwells on certain prejudices that occur in everyday situations, such as traveling and religious issues inside of a community, but the overall satire is pretty well presented. Let’s be clear it is Canadian, there are only so many things that have come out of Canada that you might get excited about, actually I could count them all on one hand. If this show is a sign of things to come well lets support something that is fresh and innovative. Comedy, coming from Muslim writers? How intriguing is the concept that it almost lets you forget the pre assumption of other shows such as 24 and Sleeper Cell. When I first began to watch the episodes I was equally excited as the world press, but as anything else that is overly hyped the humor began to reflect it’s low budget.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why I must be so critical of entertainment, I do not understand the concept to each their own because this show had so much potential that I believe it inspired another show in the United States called Aliens in America. An American sitcom that also developed on the stereotypes of Muslims it became very popular but if you don’t have a following that is dedicated then it will just become a fad and fade out like everything else in this country. I feel that this is what occurred with Little Mosque on the Prairie.
The show has so much potential, but I feel that it did not depict Muslims in the manner that is realistic. It didn’t even occur to me that during the first season that the writers were trying to see if the humor was going to work in the future. It was very soft. It made me want something edgier. The show did do a wonderful job for doing something that is unprecedented in entertainment, but if I could give the producers advice and they are willing to take it would be to always be pushing the limits. There needs to be more shows that accurately depict the social arena that is Muslims living in the western society, even though it is only recently people decided to care.
The show attempts to contrast conservative Islamic views held primarily by the characters of Baber and Fatima with more liberal interpretations of Islam as represented by Amaar and Rayyan. I am saying this in the best way possible but it fails to depict reality. It does create an atmosphere where you know who is whom in the show, producing far-fetched stereotypes. For instance, the show has the much too liberal Rev. Magee counteracts the annoying radio host Fred Tupper. Throughout the show there is all these balances, but is too childish.
Another contrast is the traditional characters between Baber and Fatima, who represent the conservative within Islam, while Amaar the sheik and Rayyan the beauty, represent Islamic liberalism. How ironic that both liberal characters have to be attractive. The more moderate characters are Yasir and Sarah, who try to be good Muslims but aren't particularly strongly defined by their faith are very realistic characters because they do live in a secular country where capitalism is the gain.
Throughout the show you notice this readily. Yasar and Sarah have their opposing characters, the non-Muslim Mayor Popowicz who might as well be Muslim because she truly does not show her religious affiliation.
One of the most interesting aspects of the show is its illustration of how Muslims must live among non-Muslims. For example the one that stays with me the most is Rayyan and her ability to balance being Muslim with western feminism. I thought this was funny because in an episode that I watched outside of the class Rayyan begins to date a fireman who gets the wrong impression, and her mother is definitely wanting this thing to last. It gets pretty ridiculous, but in all the television show was a good idea, but needs to do a better job with the script.
Elizabeth Davis
ReplyDeleteLittle Mosque - episode review (1/2)
With its strange combination of good jokes, blatant stereotypes, and questionable acting skills, some might wonder why Little Mosque on the Prairie has been such a success on Canadian television. As many of my classmates have eloquently written above, much of its appeal comes from the honesty and humor of its somewhat typecast characters. In the past three years, the show’s fresh approach to the challenges of living as a Muslim in North America has earned it quite a following. The show’s widespread appeal is especially demonstrated by the second season of the show, when popular guest stars begin to make appearances. In Season 2, Episode 17, entitled “Spy Something or Get Out”, Samantha Bee, a Canadian correspondent to the immensely popular Daily Show with Jon Stewart, appears as an employee of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (the Canadian equivalent of the FBI) who is apparently vacationing in the small town of Mercy.
The writers of the show have found ways to discuss issues that matter the most to Muslims in North America, and, in a few cases, have aired some extremely prescient storylines. “Spy Something or Get Out”, which first aired in 2007, addresses an issue that touches deep nerves among mosque attendants across North America: government agencies spying in mosques. Of course, in typical Little Mosque fashion, the show takes the issue and turns it on its head. Samantha Bee’s character, Nancy Layton, arrives in Mercy because she is on a week-long fishing vacation from work. However, after Fatima, the feisty café owner, learns who employs Nancy, she immediately suspects her of coming to Mercy to spy on the mosque. Of course, in light of the acts of government spying that were recently proved in 2009 to have taken place in the United States, Fatima’s fears are not completely unfounded.
Ammar, however, is not convinced that Nancy has arrived to spy on them—after all, she has not been seen around the mosque at all, and she brings photographs to Fatima’s café to prove that she has indeed spent the day fishing. She is not even aware that a mosque operates in Mercy until Ammar informs her of it. What follows is a hilarious conversation that satirizes the offensive/defensive roles that security agencies and Muslims have grown accustomed to playing in the years since September 11, 2001. When Ammar mentions that he is the imam of the mosque, Nancy responds, “I wouldn’t be worried. I doubt you’re on anybody’s radar.” Ammar asks her what she means, and she continues, “Well, it’s not secret that the government monitors some mosques, but they’re usually, you know, big, professionally run mosques in major centers. You know, real mosques.” Ammar, affronted that she does not consider his beloved community to be a “real mosque”, retorts that his mosque has thirty members. To this, Nancy replies, “To be a hotbed you need forty.” At this point, Ammar wants to prove that his mosque could be a hotbed in order to show her that it is a “real” mosque. However, Nancy says, “No. It’s a rule. Thirty can be a breeding ground.” This satisfies Ammar, who is pleased that his mosque is at least prominent to be considered a “breeding ground” for terrorism.
Elizabeth Davis
ReplyDeleteLittle Mosque - episode review (2/2)
The twisted nature of this funny exchange draws attention to the relationship between mosques and intelligence authorities by reversing their roles. While Nancy is thoroughly unconvinced that a small-town mosque could be capable of doing anything disreputable, Ammar wants to prove that his is a “real mosque” by arguing that it could, potentially, breed terrorism. Furthermore, the CSIS agent is disinterested in touring the mosque, but Ammar insists that she visit just so she can see how legitimate the mosque is. When she does, she finds the entire Muslim community of Mercy bickering with one another in the new shop that was opened in the mosque. Highly suspect of arguing Muslims, Nancy calls for backup and the entire mosque is raided by CSIS officials. For an imam whose community has been accused of terrorism before, Ammar is far from upset: “Only real mosques get searched – we’re on the map!” In this instance, Ammar’s quest for legitimacy supersedes his want to convince the public that most Muslims are not terrorists.
This episode of Little Mosque does not explore individual stereotypes as much as it does communal stereotypes. Although many might believe that North American mosques are engaged in a daily struggle to rid their communities’ notions of terrorism, this episode shows the conflicting priorities that mosques face. Since members of Mercy Mosque know that they have nothing to hide, they do not worry so much about allegations of terrorism; they worry more about growing as a community, and about being seen as a growing community.
The television series “Little Mosque on the Prairie” is a show that simultaneously educates its audience about the stereotypes experienced by the Muslim community in a non-Muslim country while also being entertaining and humorous. This show focuses on members of a mosque attempting to build a strong Muslim community and the trials and tribulations associated with it. The pilot episode is about how the rest of the community reacts to a mosque being established in their community and involves characters with different stereotypical values and behaviors. One of the characters is a traditional Muslim, Baber, who served as the previous imam to the community while being an economics professor who is extremely orthodox and radical in his views and wants the Muslim to behave accordingly. Additionally, the new imam, Amaar Rashid, who was hired to replace Baber, is a lot more moderate than his predecessor, and he and Baber got into numerous arguments over how the mosque should be run. The other characters on the show are Yasir, who manages the mosque, his daughter Rayyan and his wife Sarah who had previously converted to Islam to marry Yasir.
ReplyDeleteThe show illustrates a variety of types of Muslim characters that all interact with each other and try to coexist peacefully. For instance, Rayyan, a relatively liberal Muslim woman, who practices medicine, on numerous occasions clashes with Baber who believes that women and men should be separated while praying in the mosque. Rayyan, on the other hand, is a feminist and believes that women should not be separated by a bench in the mosque and women have a right to pray alongside anyone they please. Fatima, another member of the mosque, who is a conservative Nigerian immigrant, thinks that the separation of women and men in the mosque is the right course of action. In the end Amaar decided to keep compromise with both parties and erect a half-bench so that women who want the mosque to be separate, like Fatima, will be able to pray separately from the men and those who don’t like Rayyan will not have to. This is an example of the types of issues that are faced by Muslims in particular those that belong to a mosque with a diverse members from different countries and backgrounds.
Furthermore, the show also portrays external conflicts felt by the members of this mosque not just those of internal battles. For instance, there was a scandal that erupted, in the town of Mercy, when the community learnt of the mosque that was established in their town. This scandal was mostly caused by the media in particular host of a talk show, Fred Tupper who is a bigot and thinks all Muslims are terrorists. Yasir was left to deal with the public outcry from the establishment of a mosque in their community and eventually members of Mercy community were calmed and learnt that the mosque was in no way a threat to them.
The show highlights numerous topics that are relevant in today’s society like the concern of many with the construction of several mosques in the United States, the ignorance that people have or portray towards Muslims and even the internal conflicts between Muslims with different backgrounds and traditions in particular the show brings to light the contrasting views between conservative Muslims and more liberal followers of Islam. Additionally, the show also attempts to illustrate the stereotypes that people have constructed against Muslims and also stereotypes of “Muslim haters” or those who know little to nothing about Islam.
D/T Gears
ReplyDeleteLittle Mosque on the Prairie
The initial thought someone gets when told that they are going to watch a television called Little Mosque on the Prairie is one of almost sure disbelief. The show would appear to be very controversial show and one that in the aura that exists in today’s society portrays Muslims in a light which is not very good. When watching this show though, one is pleasantly surprised because the show while definitely controversial does not portray Muslims in a bad light at all, an argument though could maybe be constructed that the show trivializes what Muslims go through. That argument might have some strength in it. When watching this television series though, the message that the producers sought to get out was that Muslims are no different from ordinary citizens like those that can be found in Middle America.
The most prominent example of this can be seen with Rayyan Hamoudi, the daughter of the main character Yasir Hamoudi. Rayyan is a doctor in the town and is a very outspoken woman who does not take to being told what to do. This is a direct attack on this idea which is present throughout mainstream thought that Islam is a religion which seeks to make women be submissive. Also, not only is Rayyan a Muslim doctor, she also has made the decision that she is going to wear the Muslim head garment, the Hajib. This promotion of the idea that a Muslim woman is capable of holding not just a job, but a prestigious job and can practice her religion the right way is extremely important to halting the idea that Islam is a backwards religion.
Another way in which the producers used their television show to try and fight the idea that women in Islam are subordinate to men is by show casing all the debate which occurred within the mosque regarding policies. In particular was the debate which arose regarding the separation of men and women while praying in the mosque. Some of the men were strictly against this idea while the women of the mosque, more or less lead by Rayyan were against this idea. While the beginning of the series saw the barricade being up, the women were ultimately able to prevail.
Lastly, there was the case where Layla Siddiqui, the teenage daughter of Baber Siddiqui, the old Imam of the Mosque. According to Islamic thought, at least the kind that Baber believes in, when a daughter gets her period it is time for her to start wearing the Hajib and for the importance of religion to increase in her life. For Layla though, she had conflicting thoughts as she wanted to be a Muslim however she also wanted to be a teenage “American.” While Baber, who is one of the more conservative members of the Mosque that we see wants his daughter in the Hajib, he was willing to forgo forcing it upon Layla and let her make the decision of when she wanted to start wearing it.
While this show might rub some people the wrong way, in my opinion it is a very accurate portrayal of what life is life in small-town America for Muslims. It showed the concerns which Muslims have to deal with regarding the possibility that they are terrorists based on nothing more than their religion or how the look, which is an unfortunate part of the society that we live in today. Hopefully, it is through shows like this that the stereotypical viewpoints which many people hold are proven to be false and the prejudices can hopefully be overcome.
"Little Mosque on the Prairie" is a Canadian television show that highlights different ideological views in a small Muslim community with a humorous twist. It's quite entertaining to watch although it is important to note that the show plays largely on stereotypes. Babber and Fatimah are viewed as the conservative community members constantly working to uphold strict Islamic methods. They make their beliefs very clear and do not attempt to hide it what so ever. Rayyan is the daughter of a quite secular couple who do not impose religion on their daughter, but she still chooses to follow Islam the way she sees correct. She educates herself off of the Islamic teachings, yet maintains a very liberal outlook-being very adament on the rights of Muslim women. Her parents Yasser and Sarah also have distinct roles. Yasser is a close definition of a stereotypical American Muslim who tries their hardest to assimilate into a "white" community. He is constantly trying to bridge the gap between the white community and the Muslims; making the mosque less noticable as possible, possibly fearing the response of the surrounding white community. His wife Sarah is a white convert who works for the local mayor's office. She tries to follow Islam the best she knows how,very limited- simply out of respect to fit in. Since her husband himself does not practise Islam entirely, she has no trouble living the life she lived before, just now as a Muslim. Aamer is the new Imam who hold very liberal beliefs as well as Rayyan. His education background allows him to think logically and not come in the influence of the other conservative members of the mosque such as Babber. He, in my opinion, truly represents the current generation American Muslim. He has learned the religion, and understands it with an open mind. He tries to maintain American ideals while staying true to his teachings. Then comes the community they live in. The town comes off as being an ignorant white community who simply do not know. They aren't well aware of Muslims and Islam, therefore, they hold very ignorant beliefs about the "foreigner"; constantly referring to them as being "terrorists". The show is based off of all these various relationships between the community members and the different issues they come across. Due to the difference in ideologies, the task of coming to any particular decision isn't as easy as it seems because it is difficult to please all as Aamer points out. My favorite episode was the one where a barrier is introduced into the mosque between the men and women. It reminds me a bit of our local mosque in Delaware where a similar situation occured. Entirely, the show is entertaining, however I don't believe that it is a correct way to understand how a Muslim community really is in reality. The stereotypes of the different individuals are heightend to an extreme, and don't necessarily prove to be entirely true. Aspects of the show such as the clashes between the conservative Muslims and Liberal Muslims do exist, but not to that extreme. All in all, however, it is entertaining to watch and somewhat relate to because I think as a Muslim American we can all think of atleast one individual in our life that is represented through one of the characters seen in the show.
ReplyDeleteLittle Mosque on the Prairie is a comedic-satirical Canadian television program that depicts practicing Muslims of various shapes and sizes living in a country where Islam is not the dominant religion (Canada). This program relies heavily on a variety of stereotypes both within the Muslim society as well as within the North American society and plays on these stereotypes to create conflict in a humorous yet insightful manner.
ReplyDeleteThese stereotypes cover all ends of the ideological spectrum. Within the Muslim community, the new imam, Amaar, represents the liberal Muslim. He supports liberal issues such as women’s rights and this can be seen in the episode titled “The Barrier” in which he states that he is opposed to erecting a barrier in the mosque separating men from women. Serving as a foil to Amaar and reperesenting the conservative side of Islam, is Baber, the former iman of the mosque. Baber falls sharply on the conservative side of many Islamic topics, such as wearing a hajib as well as arguing that women should be forced to stand behind a barrier when praying. Baber also unintentionally isolates the members of the mosque from mainstream North-American society by being very outspoken about his conservative beliefs.
However, these stereotypes are not limited to the Islamic side, as the show also manages to portray a number of North-American stereotypes as well. One of the most obvious stereotypes is that of Fred Tupper, the hate-mongering talk show host reminiscent of so many Fox News anchors today. Tupper is ardent in his hatred for Islam as a religion and believes that it is not compatible with western society. He is outspoken and attempts to inflame hatred in order to gain ratings. On the other end of the spectrum is Reverend McGee, who serves as a minister in the same church that houses the mosque and is very liberal within his religion as well as towards Muslims. He and imam Amaar often discuss policies together and find common ground in religion.
If there is one problem with this program, it is that it oversimplifies many of the stereotypes and complex issues in the show. Since the show is a comedy, it aims at keeping the subject matter as light as possible while still drawing attention to the key issue at hand. Rarely are there people who display every aspect of “conservative Muslim” or “liberal North-American”. If anything, this show furthers existing stereotypes that may or may not be harmful to relations between Muslims and the Western society as a whole.
The show is amazing. Its funny, it deals with real world religious conflicts and realities and it is just great television. This show would never last in America. Like NBC's the Book of Daniel it would be off the air before the first commercial break. Even if the American Muslim Community took no offense to it, someone would feel the need to stand up anyway and be against this show.
ReplyDeleteI love the characters and how they interact with one another. The show is about Islam and how a small town confronts the religion and those who adhere to it but there is so much more going on. There is a generational divide between the mosque owner and his daughter. There is constant conflict between traditional/conservative Islam and liberal Islam. There is a clash between the sexes and between the townspeople themselves.
I am not a Muslim, but I think the message of he show is that "nobody is right," and its a lesson that many could take to heart. There are competing views of correctness, tradition, roles of women, nationalism, and so on, and the town must learn to combine all of these conflicts and come out with a workable society.
Marvelous.
What makes Little Mosque on the Prairie such an entertaining show is its use of satire to address the Muslim Experience in Canada (and the US) after 9/11. We laugh at the fear mongering of the radio host, the nervousness of the concerned citizen in the airport, and even the slight racism of mayor of the small Canadian town. We laugh because these reactions are ridiculous, but we also laugh because these satires aren't that far off from the reality we live in.
ReplyDeleteMuslims have been kicked off of planes simply for praying in the terminal. Right wing radio hosts have harped on American fears of Muslims in a number of profit making rants, including Glenn Beck asking Congressman Keith Ellison to his face to prove he isn't working for our enemies. Finally a number of our politicians have also said some things out of post 9/11 fear, including congressman Tancredo's assertion that we should bomb Mecca if we face another terrorist attack. The challenges Muslims face on this continent after 9/11 are highlighted in Little Mosque on the Prairie. Luckily, satire is one of the best ways of knocking down stereotypes.
by Andrew Gripp
ReplyDeleteThe Little Mosque on the Prairie shows the various problems that Muslims face in a Western democracy, in this case, small town Canada. Each episode presents a problem or two, to which the various “types” of Muslims react. Each character represents a stereotype, which makes the show easy to understand and easy to criticize and relate to. By showing the absurdities of some of the characters’ behaviors, the show is engaging in self-criticism.
Baber, an older man and former imam, represents the more conservative Muslim. Appalled by the growing liberalism within his Muslim community, he tries to protect his tradition. He hates Canadian Idol, wants to segregate the women from the men during prayer, and argues with his daughter so that she leaves the house in only a “presentable” way. His conservatism makes it difficult for him to relate to his daughter who is assimilating to the culture, as he can’t discuss her having her period comfortably.
Similarly, Fatima, a North African woman, wants to preserve Orthodox Islam. She also defends her traditions, and wants to prepare a dish with goat and dislikes the compromise by Sarah to make cucumber sandwiches. She sees this as a corruption or misrepresentation of traditional foods. The dispute highlights the absurdity of preferring various traditional practices to others as a means of showing ones religiosity. What one eats or how one dresses doesn’t necessarily define ones faith.
Yasser is an anomaly. He seems torn between to cultures. His skin is fairer than most of the others and he is married to a local convert, Sarah. He runs his business from the mosque and seems to be a secular figure. He seems to be pressured by his wife to observe better than he does.
Rayyan, their daughter, is more active and more liberal. She represents the younger generation of Western Muslim women. A medical student, she is educated in secular and religious affairs and has a firm opinion on all of the mosque’s concerns. She, against Baber, strongly opposes the building of a wall to segregate the men and women during prayer. Despite her association with Western life, she still wears an hijab as a sign of faith. She serves as a role model, I think, to those who might feel torn or conflicted. She proves that one doesn’t have to compromise. One can still be a Muslim and a citizen of the West without betraying both roles.
Rayyan is drawn to Imam Amaar, a liberal and young man who practiced law before coming to Mercy. In contrast to Baber, he doesn’t wear a turban and is clean-shaven. He dresses non-traditionally in public, yet he still faces discrimination at the airport where he is humorously inquired about his motivations for flying. The ridiculous scene exaggerates the hysteria that Americans have when they see Muslims in airports, or when flight agencies see an Arabic name on a list or ticket. He, in deliberating on the wall, decides to diplomatically put it to a vote, which the liberals lose. He does not impose his liberalism on the congregation entirely, and wants to weigh all sides of the issue and discuss them rationally.
Andrew Gripp (CONTINUED)...
ReplyDeleteThe first episode satirizes the common Western citizen post 9/11, who is not only ignorant but fearful of the presence of mosques and Muslims. The “concerned citizen” flees the mosque in a panic to report suspicious activity to the police. The ensuing confrontation with the reporters outside shows the sensationalism in today’s media, which is epitomized in Fred Tupper. As a radio host, he is a conservative voice who echoes fears of Muslims; presence in the West, whom he irresponsibly corresponds with terrorists. The problem, as with the real world, isn’t America’s lack of knowledge, but simply the lack of accurate, coolheaded, balanced information and reporting. Fear sells, and unfortunately it is thus what dominates the airways and sculpts and ossifies public opinion. Tupper’s diatribes mock the similar rants that conservative voices in America make about Islam (I recently saw O’Reilly have a 10 minute interview with a woman on FOX who was a “beheading specialist” to talk about radical Islam. I hardly think this stuff is “newsworthy” or applicable to understanding the world’s problems and doesn’t serve constructive debate.).
This is show is a very important tool for the West. In a time when Muslims are demonized and characterized as a threat, a show like Little Mosque on the Prairie not only shows how benign and welcoming and civil Muslims are, but how similar of problems they have. Identity crises and family problems are universal experiences. The show doesn’t depict them sitting around talking about how to blow up CN Tower in Toronto. It’s about daily problems, with, in the words of the show’s producer “a Muslim twist.” The cooperation that we all should have is shown by Reverend Magee who understands the plight of the Muslims and offers to share his church with the Muslims for use for Friday prayers and services. I understand that FOX (ironically) plans to air some kind of American version of the show, and I hope it does, and soon!
Little Mosque on the prairie is a enlightening show about a small rural town in Canada with a good sized minority population. The series starts with the renting of the Mosque which used to be a Church, they don’t feel that they can let the town know that they have rented for the purpose of using it as a Mosque so instead tell everyone that they are using the old church as an office to run a construction business out of.
ReplyDeleteOf course the town finds out and this puts the locals, most notably the local talk radio show host in an uproar. Then there’s the hiring of the new Imam, who flies in and gets held up by airport security on the way. Then by the time he finally gets there everything is in disarray.
He however decides to stay and give the town his full attention. He speaks with the priest in town whom relates with him that his parish is not doing very well, but shares with the new Imam and is very forth coming.
While things may seem hectic they also are very educational and have the twist of being able to be very interesting, which will definitely help people to understand and be entertained at once, I truly wouldn’t mind watching some episodes.
Little Mosque on the Prairie features a young, successful lawyer Amaar from Toronto who abandons his career and moves west to become the spiritual leader of the small Muslim community in the town of Mercy. There he meets the different members of the Muslim community and prairie residents. As a result you have a different show on television that confronts different traditions beliefs and ways of life of the Muslim faith. What is not new in this template for a sitcom is they also have episodes that also deal with race, family (community and individual), clash of traditional and modern values, and, obviously, religious beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting to observe that what is old is new again. With sitcoms struggling to survive in the ratings game in the first years, here we have essentially another family sitcom (even if it is in Canada) with common stereo-types such as the overbearing father Babaar, or the ignorant like neighbor in the local radio talk show host , the pretty girl next door in Rayyaan. The show has just recently finished their third season. However because of the storyline and the shows central theme on Islam they have another level on which they are observed and type casted. Baber is an overprotective father, but fundamentalist Muslim as well. Rayaan is accomplished and outspoken, but also a Muslim feminist who wears the hijab.
This being a sitcom the characters do generate overall exaggerated qualities. But I think they do a nice job balancing the comedy with story and from the Muslim perspective at that. From the episodes I have seen they give us a new view on stereotypes that was never told before. While Baber, whom Amaar has come to replace, is first shown as an extremist who goes around spouting sermons and first comes off as very self-righteous and judgmental, in the second episode we see him interacting with his teenage daughter, and learning to compromise. It will be interesting to see where they will challenge these characters in future episodes and what storylines arise from the environment, culture and people in this sitcom world. I think many people can relate to this show because of universal values, as well as Muslim values and may realize how much they do overlap.
-Michelle Rana
Little Mosque on the Prairie Review Jacob Owens
ReplyDeleteIn 2007, television audiences finally received a refreshing take on the Western Muslim experience with the airing of the CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie. Apart from reruns of The Siege and The Sum of all Fears, audiences had not seen any other depictions of Muslims in popular media. With this groundbreaking show, however, we finally got at least a glimpse of the true Western Muslim experience. The other thing that the show managed to accomplish was to portray the many different types of Muslims that exist in our pluralistic society.
In Yasir, we see the more liberal Western Muslim, who tends to separate his religious life from his public life. We see this when he decides to open the mosque in the basement of the church, but advertises it as his construction company as to not frighten the community. He also tends to side with his more liberal daughter and convert wife than with the more traditional members of the congregation.
With Yasir’s wife, Sarah Hamoudi, we see one of the most revolutionary developments in the Muslim character. She is a white-convert to Islam who did so in devotion to her husband, but she is also new to the tenets and culture of Islam. We see that she is learning to adapt her original Canadian lifestyle to her new Islamic one during the bake sale and dinner. She also wears the hijab inside of the mosque, but does not outside when she is working in the mayor’s office.
Their daughter, Rayyan, represents the up-and-coming youth generation of Western Muslims, many of whom are moving into the professional sector and encountering the identity crisis that comes with such a move. She also fights against the established hierarchy of the mosque when it comes to things like breaking down the barriers set up between men and women in the mosque.
With Baber Siddiqui, we have the most conservative of all the characters on the show, but not necessarily in a bad way. The most interesting thing about Baber’s character is his transition from his more traditional culture to the Western one and how he comes to terms with a daughter who does not necessarily want to follow in her father’s footsteps. He takes objection to many of the decisions that Amaar ends up making, but he begrudgingly goes along with the majority’s decision because he really does want the best for the community.
Fatima has come to represent the most culturally traditional side of Islam, as she is a Nigerian immigrant. Her views straddle the line between conservative and liberal depending on the issue at hand. Fatima is most concerned about how the mosque chooses to celebrate their traditions though. Through Fatima the audience is able to begin to understand the fact that Islam is not a religion that one can put aside at the end of the day, but is a lifestyle choice and something you carry with you at all times.
Finally, there is Amaar Rashid, the imam that the mosque has chosen to lead their congregation. Unfortunately it seems that it is his job to keep the many competing views of Islam in check within the mosque. His liberal views and sarcastic nature keep them in line while also showing the viewing audience that an imam is no different than a priest, and a mosque no different than a church.
In a time where so many intelligent individuals have been taught to be afraid of their Muslim brethren by the media or government, Little Mosque on the Prairie has gone a long way to try and change those views while supplying entertainment at the same time.
The show Little Mosque on the prairie does a wonderful job as a whole to try and bring out common misconceptions about the Muslim faith within society, while simultaneously showing that even from within, there is fighting about the community’s evolving sense of identity. The town in which the mosque is located appears to be the director’s attempt to encompass as diverse a population so that he can represent every group in Canada. The most important figure of the general community is, in my opinion, the Reverend McGee. This is primarily due to that fact that the show is constantly trying to show that the injustices against the Muslim community are not lead by religious leaders, but instead by the individuals in the community who are incapable of accepting any truths besides those they have formed themselves. What it also attempts to show is that faith can bring people together regardless of what book you follow, and that regardless of how you practice religion; you should support and not inhibit the practice of others’ faith.
ReplyDeleteThe show does a great job of demonstrating how different members of society would handle the issue of a growing Muslim population and the rise in mosques within the community. From demonstrating the lack of knowledge about the religion, to misconceptions fueled by misinformation by Islamaphobic groups, to how public officials must publicly and privately deal with their relationship to the Muslim community. From misinformed women that do not understand the choice to wear a Hijab, to nationalistic media hosts who fear their lives would be changed due to a perceived threat to the status quo by the growing Muslim community, to a town Mayor who must deal publicly and internally with an Islam convert who also runs the public relations office : these individuals all form what could be considered an accurate sample of everyday society.
On the internal side of the mosque, the show is capable of demonstrating just how diverse the Muslim community truly is. From what appears to be a traditionalist/fundamentalist older male (Babar), to a traditionalist/culturalist who refuses to adapt customs of Canadian society (Fatimah); we see what could be characterized as the extreme versions of the religion. What the show presents with the infighting between the two, is that the Muslim faith; in its intricate rules and regulations and diverse interpretations of said rules, can clash within itself due to the individualistic nature by which the religion has evolved. The show also shows us the middle ground of the religion: where younger generations and new converts struggle with establishing their personal identity while trying to uphold the rules and customs of their religion. What this shows is that the religion is not capable of being pigeon-holed into a specific stereotype because, as it is the youngest of the “3 book religions”, the faith is still growing and evolving into a multifaceted culture and societal group throughout the world.
What is great about the show is its ability to focus on all of these different characters as they deal with some form of issue affecting the community and congregation ad a whole. We must accept the fact that each character is going to have different ways of approaching conflict and everyday life either within a religion or in a community. The series is capable of showing that the members of the faith are not really that alien from us and our basic way of life, because even in an Anglo-Saxon formed country that is continuously fighting to establish its own identity, there is parity between the two in more ways than we probably are willing to accept.
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