Zarqa
Nawaz
Film/Stage
Little Mosque on the Prairie
Reviewed by YASMEEN YAR KHANLITTLE MOSQUE ON THE PRAIRIE, Created and written by Zarqa Nawaz, CBC TV (Canada). Mondays 9.00 pm; Wednesdays 8.00 pm.
There is a scene at the end of the second episode of Little Mosque on the Prairie, CBC's new hit comedy, in which the character Sarah Hamoudi (played by Sheilah McCarthy) shares a lingering kiss with her screen husband Yasir Hamoudi (Carlo Rota). It makes you almost forget that this is a comedy about Muslims.
Finally - as the National Post put it, "Allah be praised..." - we have a show that portrays Muslims with all the lusts, insecurities, rivalries, intelligence, stupidities and everyday preoccupations that makes for the human condition. This is a refreshing relief for Muslim viewers who are fed up with incessant dissection, often vitriolic of their religion and community post 9/11. It's great to see a show with nary a terrorist in sight.
The premise of the show is simple. In the fictional Prairie town of Mercy, a new Muslim community struggles to establish itself. There is the inevitable clash of cultures and sensibilities, which is the basis of much of the hilarity. The cast of Muslims runs the gamut of belief and practice, from Yasir Mahmoud, the part-time Muslim who leases the town Parish Hall as an office and prayer space to Babar Siddiqui, the bigoted, uninformed sometime Imam (played by Manoj Sood). Sood's character is a little over the top but who can deny that they haven't heard some nonsense from the pulpit. A particularly funny line is his call to the community to smash the American and Canadian "Idols". But even he, in all his religious certainty has a moment of doubt when his daughter reaches puberty and he hesitates to enforce the hijab.
The pace of the episodes is quick, maybe too quick, the writing nimble and light hearted. The bond developing between the two men of faith, Amaar Rashid (Zaib Sheik), the novice Imam and the Reverend Duncan McGee (Derek McGrath) is a nice touch. I particularly enjoyed the banter between the feisty Fatima Dinssa, (Arlene Duncan), owner of Fatima's Diner, and Fred Tupper (Neli Crone), the right-wing radio show host.
The real hero of the show is the writer and creator Zarqua Nawaz. She is brave and funny. Some of the scenes will make conservative Muslims cringe, like the scene where Sarah Hamoudi pinches her husband's bottom just before the start of prayer. They will probably dismiss it as the inappropriate behavior of a convert. Non-Muslim Canadians will also experience their moments of discomfort as they watch themselves being poked fun at.
It would be easy to dismiss Little Mosque as corny and cute as some critics have. It is both, but it also cleverly makes sly references to 9/11, the Arar affair, clueless RCMP investigators and the knee jerk reaction to all things Muslim. For those expecting a serious, in-depth analysis of the Muslim community, the series will be a disappointment. For me there is enough serious discussion out there. Little Mosque on the Prairie is as light as the cappuccino Amaar longs for... and I can't wait for the next episode.