Torture on TV

As alway, Sheila Musaji hits it out of the park. The American Muslim (TAM). However, once this became an issue not of whether or not the television program itself was worthwhile, but instead an issue of whether or not Muslims – any Muslims – could be represented without including demeaning stereotypes, then it became an issue for all American Muslims to be concerned about.

It Will Take More Than a Muslim Cosby Show. Couric’s instincts are right when she draws parallels between Islamophobia and racism. And she is correct in focusing on the role of media and cultural production in that fight. But her Cosby Show proposal is misplaced, both historically and socially. Perhaps what is needed more than another Cosby Show are the lessons learned from the first one.

My latest at Religion Dispatches. Muslims Helped Legitimize Lowes’ Decision to Pull Ads From All-American Muslim | Religion Dispatches. What many of these criticizers, not critics, fail to realize is that actions have consequences. I would love to see a second season of All-American Muslim (AAM) that comes to Jackson Heights in Queens to do South Asian Muslims, or to Chicago to cover African-American Muslims. So, what these criticizers did is to create a narrative that even Muslims don’t believe that this show represents Muslims. There was no positive or constructive criticism, just complaints that the critics themselves weren’t on…