Yes, it HAS been long enough

FEATURE: “Little Sensitivity Lesson on the Prairie: A Canadian sitcom pokes fun at Muslim stereotypes,” by Christopher Mason, New York Times, 16 January 2007, p. A4.

The Canadians are beating us to the self-examination punch on Islam within our ranks, as demonstrated by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s daring new sitcom, “Little Mosque on the Prairie. It is attracting an audience that’s roughly double of the usual definition of a runaway hit in Canada.

The opening episode shows a bunch of Muslims trying to set up a mosque in the parish hall of a church. When a local sees them gathered in prayer, he rushes to call the terrorist hot line, and rest is a humor right out of “The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!”

The president of the Canadian Islamic Congress has a great quote on the show: “Muslims are a bit late in laughing at themselves, but we have to use humor to remedy these divisions, just like any community.”

The CBC is talking with networks and cable stations in the U.S., Israel, Dubai, U.K., Germany and France about exporting the show.

Norman Lear would be proud.

Comments

[Ben]

I live in way-Upstate NY and we get the Canadian channels. I really had high hopes for this show, but the humor just wasn't there for me and my wife and we turned the channel after half of the first show. If they export it, they need the writers from the 'The Office' or a similar show to take over. Great concept, but I think it wouldn't translate well.