TLC: "All-American Muslim"
By Huda, About.com Guide
The series is filmed in Dearborn, Michigan - the most concentrated
community of Arabs within the U.S. It follows the lives of five Muslim
families. There is a football coach and a police officer, who highlight
the "typical American patriot" side of Muslim life. There are
professional women and homemakers, both with and without hijab, who
portray the variety of options and freedoms that Muslim women enjoy.
There is a convert to the faith, and those who were raised in it. Since
Dearborn is a largely Arab-American community, and the families seem to
be all Shia' Muslims, the show lacks the cultural diversity that exists among Muslims in other U.S. cities.
The greatest criticism of the first episode centers around Jeff, the
Irish-Catholic man engaged to marry Shadia, a Muslim. In the premiere
episode, it is revealed that Jeff plans to convert to Islam.
Muslims who have actually lived through such a decision know that it is
a very difficult one, and for many it causes loss of family
relationships, friends, and a sense of tradition. Yet on this show,
Jeff's conversion comes across as expedient (to please Shadia's family)
and easy. The camera cuts from Jeff pronouncing the shahaada in Arabic,
to dancing with belly dancers at his wedding. Many Muslims may find this
mixture of religion and culture misleading and disturbing. Others may
find that while it may be confusing, it actually presents a more
accurate picture of how Muslims actually live.
Non-Muslims who wish to catch a glimpse of the "inside world" of
Muslim life in the U.S. may find that it is quite normal and boring...
not the greatest combination for entertaining reality television.
The series airs at 10pm on Sunday evenings. Clips and information can be found at the TLC website.
What do you think of this program? Does the show portray Muslims in a
realistic light? Do you plan to watch future episodes? Share your
comments below.
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