Little Mosque on the Prairie Episode 5 (review and video)
February 16, 2007 — ibnabeeomarI think this was the most repulsive episode so far. I knew it was only a matter of time before they got really close to making fun of something in the deen - I just didn’t think they would have the audacity to do it with salaah. Don’t even get me started on the convert dude angle and ending. It doesn’t even seem like Muslims are writing this show, I have seen more accurate portrayals of Islam in non-Muslim media.
I’m really curious now to see how those Muslims who are supporting this show feel now that even the prayer in Islam has been made fun of and mocked. If you think that last statement was a bit extreme, then the least that can be said is they portrayed salaah in a negative light. I don’t know how any Muslim with an ounce of emaan in their heart can still support a show after seeing that.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
February 16, 2007 at 3:47 am
I watched the first minute. There is nothing worse than something which is trying very hard to be funny and clever but which simply isn’t.
February 16, 2007 at 8:34 am
As-salaamu ‘alaikum
Brother Kamil has written a good article on this show, you can read it here:
http://m-kamil-ahmad.blogspot.com
February 16, 2007 at 5:23 pm
I’ve just watched the first 5 minutes of it, and I am APPALLED!!!
Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah… this show is thoroughly disgusting. I’m agonizing over whether to keep watching the new episodes, just so I know *what* is being shown and know how to respond to people who are all excited about it; or to stop wasting my time.
February 17, 2007 at 2:30 am
Allahul musta’an
“little mackhouse on the prairie”
February 18, 2007 at 3:24 am
i am sure that there are plenty of “traditional” Muslims and modernists who still support this kind of nonsense…
i’m sure that there are plenty of other Muslims on wordpress or somewhere in the blogosphere who would not only support but would also defend this kind of offensive programming.
the sad reality is that Muslims are often more to blame when it comes to insulting Islam and the Sunnah of the Prophet SAAWS than the Kuffar….
February 20, 2007 at 5:53 am
Listen to the other side: an interview with Zarqa Nawaz: http://www.islamonline.net/livedialogue/english/Browse.asp?hGuestID=o1ZU31&h
February 20, 2007 at 9:42 pm
i found the interview interesting… it seems that the show is ‘out of control’ literally! Zarqa Nawaz seems to be just a pawn in the show, to get some credibility, but it seems she isn’t calling the shots, and reading the interview almost made me believe that she is being apologetic and almost embarrassed by the shows… I think she should have just quit instead of being part of a show that is supposed to reflect her ‘creation’.
wallahualam
February 21, 2007 at 3:49 pm
la hawla wala quwata ila bilah ( sisters and brothers excuse my spelling, if wrong!)
my friend and i were excited about this new suppousedly show, until i decided to watch some clips, and i have to admit that i got repulsed, first of all making fun of the sujood position in salah, the obligation of wearing a scarf, whats next ?!
February 21, 2007 at 5:06 pm
I watched an interview with Mustafa Al’aqqad director of “The Message” when arabs were boycotting Disney. he said somethin it took me years to understand, i’m paraphrasing:
“so we boycott… then what? we boycott and sit doing nothing, we have to act not only react” he was eager to do a movie about Salahuddeen but i think the arabs let him down they were all putting conditions against their funds.
It’s embarrasing that we have no capacity to produce a comic series on our own, then we criticise others for not showing us exactly the way WE want
We need to start seeing things as they are rather than black or white
All the comments I read here are making it black… To me this is a comic series not islamic history, it can go wrong but that doesn’t mean conspiracy!
…
so Wake up people…
February 21, 2007 at 5:13 pm
“It’s embarrasing that we have no capacity to produce a comic series on our own, then we criticise others for not showing us exactly the way WE want”
i think its a mistake to think we somehow *need* a comic series. for what? i think life w/o little mosque was just fine. i agree about needing to act, but we can act in other ways, we don’t need a sitcom to prove that we’re not being lazy.
February 21, 2007 at 6:54 pm
RE Lotaenterprises.
the community demands it and if we have the slightest chance to fulfil the community’s need without breaching principles then we HAVE to trylest someone would do it badly.
Again Mustafa Al’aqqad challenged all the professionals who told him he can never make a movie without showing the face of the main character! but you know what… he made the movie
February 22, 2007 at 9:55 am
I think we all need to understand a small point. This sitcom is not making fun of Islam but it is making fun of Muslims (in North American context) and it is a sitcom so yeah they exaggerate things. Come on people, enjoy it. My family and I watch it together a laugh a lot. We just had an open house at our local masjid and many non-muslims who came to the event mentioned that watching “little mosque” has sparked their interest in Islam and Muslims.
February 22, 2007 at 10:36 am
yasser: i am still a bit confused as to why this is a community need, or demand from the community? im all for being involved in the media and stuff - but i dont think a sitcom is necessary, and above that it does breach islamic principles in what it has portrayed. see the comment from amad above, it seems even the creator is getting a bit railroaded by a few issues and is embarassed about it.
fauzia: that’s not a small point. firstly, it IS mocking islam. many of the comments show people were clearly offended by their portrayal of salat, etc. also, even though making fun of muslims themselves might be different, its still not ok.
do we really think its ok to mock the believers? perhaps we are then making fun of those who Allah loves. sure, it might be funny to mock a stereotype here and there, but “muslim comedy” at its root is a disgusting and repulsive idea, whether its making fun of muslims themselves or (worse) the deen.
someone might read this and say i need to lighten up, but i think ppl need to get more serious, otherwise islam is going to turn into a joke in this country, and muslims will have even less respect in society than we do now.
February 22, 2007 at 10:38 am
O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former, nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one’s brother after having Faith [i.e. to call your Muslim brother (a faithful believer) as: "O sinner", or "O wicked", etc.]. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.). (49:11)
February 22, 2007 at 10:50 am
“have you seen the movie”Kingdom of Heaven”? Muslims generally welcomed the movie because it showed Salahuddin Ayyubi and Muslims in a very respectful manner. In this movie, the salat scene was far from real we didn’t cry because the movie showed perfect muslims.
Who is a believer? And show me a believer who is a perfect muslim? And I am assumin it is ok to make fun of people who Allah loves as we have the example of our beloved prophet and his companions’s excellent sense of humour. And for your information, the show is not making fun of “real believers”; it is jus making fun of “stereotypes”.
Please read Zarqa Nawaz’s interview again. She mentioned several times that CBC’s team is willing to learn and adapt. The best thing we can do is write to them, when we don’t like some aspects of the program for instance making out in public.
February 22, 2007 at 10:56 am
lotaenterprises -I love when muslims use verses and from quran and hadiths totally out of context to justify their points. This verse from Surah Hujarat has a very different context. It is not talking about humour. It is talking about social ills that are unfotunately still very common in our community.
February 22, 2007 at 10:57 am
theres a difference in a mistake or misportrayal, and then making fun of something. if they prayed incorrectly, then thats different from actually making fun of ppl praying or making the salah out to be some overly cumbersome act.
another difference with kingdom of heaven is the GENERAL PUBLIC doesn’t associate that movie with islam. you did not see news releases, etc. about this movie and islam, or anything like what you see with this show which is CLEARLY trying to tie itself to being islamic, having camels and halal whatevers in toronto and putting “mosque” in the title. there’s a HUGE difference in something that has muslim elements incorporated into the movie like kingdom of heaven or even malcolm x. none of them were MEANT to represent islam, or be a reference point of islam in the west. this show, however is and does.
we have their example of a sense of humor, but did they actually MOCK anyone or make fun of them? or even of their stereotypes? id be REALLY interested to see someone produce any proof of that. did they ever make light about salah or crack jokes about it?
ill leave it at that, anything more would be repetetive of whats already been said in the posts regarding the other 4 episodes and their comments on here
February 22, 2007 at 10:59 am
http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=49&tid=49801
with all due respect sister, i think you need to understand the difference between HUMOR and actually making fun of or degrading someone.
February 22, 2007 at 1:15 pm
thais is my point
http://www.grand-illusions.com/woman.htm
Peace
February 22, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I am posting the following message again.
I think many of us don’t like it because the show has been showing “real everyday” north american muslims and not “the perfet” muslims. Have we ever thought about the everyday situations when the “real everyday not so perfect” muslims interact with non-muslims in our society and say or do things which puts Islam and Muslims in a bad light. I will give you two examples: one woman that I met at one of the public event about “women in Islam” at the local library, told me that one of his coworkers refused to shake hands with women because “women are considered impure” in Islam. Now I am not sure what this person was trying to convey; it could be a language barrier as well; but this “everyday not so perfect” muslim did not leave a very good impression of Islam and non-muslims on his coworkers. The woman was relieved to know that the reason behind opposite sexes not shaking hands with each other. The other example is from my own family. When I introduced my sister and her husband to my coworkers, my brother-in-law shook hands with all regardless of their gender in a very professional manner whereas my sister just stood quitely when the first male offered the handshake. Can we all think about what messages these “real not-so-perfect” muslims convey about Islam Muslims to non-muslims.
1. It is ok for a man to shake hands with woman but not for woman.
2. Muslim women are not confident enough to speak their minds (my sister didn’t explain why she’d not shake hands)
3. 2+2=4; Islam oppress women.
I can give you hundreds of real examples about these daily interactions between muslims and non-muslims.
Here is another scenario for you:
Many Muslim men marry (according to Shariah) a second (or even third, fourth) woman but do not register these marriages. These second, third and fouth wives will take welfare as single mothers. Tell the non-muslims workers who deal with these women that Muslims don’t have sexual relationships outside marriage. As someone who works in this system, it bothers me so much when I see a Hijab wearing Muslim woman with many small children (including new borns) pretending to be a single mother.
Now, if tomorrow, “Little Mosque” decides to have a show on these “single Moms” we will all be up in arms against CBC for showing islam and Muslims in a wrong way.
Wake up people, Muslims are also human beings. The ideal perfect Muslims are very hard to find these days.
February 22, 2007 at 3:14 pm
i am closing the comments on this. jazkallahu khayr to everyone for contributing, but i think its all running in circles now.