I was super-excited for the launch of “Halal in the Family,” a web series that the creator, Aasif Mandvi has described as “an exaggerated sitcom style to poke satirical fun at the racism and prejudice Muslims often experience in the United States and beyond.” It is a four-episode series, each episode lasting about five minutes and tackling a different theme/problem Muslims in America face.

Naturally, I was impatient to get to watch it. The series was advertised as taking on stereotypes of American Muslims, challenging norms of bigotry, and addressing “larger social and political issues.” And doing it in a fun, light-hearted way that emphasized change through the universal medium of humor.

However, “Halal in the Family” failed to excite. I wasn’t entertained, I wasn’t pleased, I wasn’t informed. In fact, I was borderline dismayed and angered. I was underwhelmed by the series; it was excessively mediocre. As a Muslim American, I didn’t feel I was represented at all. And any real social commentary was drowned out by stupid jokes, borderline sexist/racist remarks, and an incredibly narrow definition of “Americanness” that refused to allow Muslims to have any part in it.

The series tries to address stereotypes facing one group (American Muslims) by playing on stereotypes of other groups (women, Sikhs, “Americans,” conservatives, etc.). That doesn’t help anyone. Someone watching “Halal in the Family” without any real background knowledge might actually walk away with more stereotypes than they had when they sat down to watch, not just of other groups, but also of Muslims– which is exactly what the series was meant to combat.

The worst stereotype was that of Americans, who were portrayed to be all Islamophobic, white, conservative, bigoted people. If at its core, “Halal in the Family” seeks to prove how Muslims can be “all-American” as it claims, this portrayal of Americanness leaves no room for a Muslim identity. In fact, in the episodes, the characters are actually advised by the patriarch of the family (Aasif Mandvi) to downplay their Muslim identity by eating pork, advocating to ban Sharia law in high school, etc. so that they can be better Americans.

The first episode is meant to highlight the increasing trend of FBI moles inserting themselves into Muslim communities in order to report back on potential “terrorist” activities. It does an adequate job of highlighting this, if you know that; otherwise, you’re left awash in quasi-racist sentiment (Jordan Klepper guest stars as a Muslim, and repeated insinuations are made that Muslims aren’t/can’t be white).

In the second episode, the family turns its house into a “haunted terrorist camp” in a Halloween decoration contest, to beat their neighbors, who had turned their house into a mere haunted house. As a result of the “decorations,” the community stages a protest in front of the house, because they mistake it for a mosque and don’t want to see one built in their community. Again, if the viewer knows that the purported is that Islamophobic protests are stupid, the series is “meh;” but otherwise there’s just an underlying “Muslim houses=terrorist camps” assertion that isn’t overtly denied.

In the third episode, Aasif’s daughter is cyber-bullied. A classmate Photoshops a turban onto her head and depicts her driving a taxi. Aasif is upset, not that she is being bullied and stereotyped, but that she is being stereotyped as Sikh. The use of other stereotypes common (and which remain undisputed) in American society does not contribute to a sense of social justice in the series, but a sense that something is fundamentally wrong with the way the series (not us) depicts everyone.

In the final episode, Aasif’s son attempts to run for class president. His initial speech, according to Aasif, emphasizes his Muslim-ness too much, so he has his son dress up in red, white, and blue from tip to toe and emphasize a policy of banning Sharia law in his high school. In the end, a family (Muslim) friend prudently recommends that the son dismiss the anti-Sharia platform because, although it garners political votes in the national syste, it’s stupid; the son should just “say what’s in his heart,” to which the son responds that his real platform is the objectification of women (he wants to be able to ogle the female swim team during practice by making it open to the public). Yes, there is a real sociopolitical message in the commentary on anti-Sharia political platforms. But it is so short and unenthusiastic that it is overwhelmed by the final sexist remarks in the episode.

I wasn’t wowed. At all. It was a great idea, y’all, but it didn’t succeed. The execution of the plan left a lot to be desired, and I wouldn’t watch any more episodes if they came out. Sorry. If I was being generous, I’d give it 2/5 stars. I wish I had better things to say because we– as a society– could really use a tool like this that conveys information about serious issues through something as mundane as humor. But this series isn’t it.

For better Islamic humor, check out this list of recommended You Tube videos.

The post “Halal in the Family” sitcom tries, but fails appeared first on Occasional Planet.

A few years back, I was searching for essay contests to enter (they were for extra credit; don’t judge), and I stumbled on one that asked me to describe the experience of being a multicultural teen living in the United States today. I just laughed a little, thinking that if whoever was asking didn’t already know, then there was nothing more I could do for them. It was a can of worms I didn’t want to open. To be fair, I did give it a half-hearted shot for the sake of the free points, but it was just nonsense. I really felt like everybody understood, because we live in America, for goodness sakes! And I didn’t need to explain it to the close-minded people who didn’t get it.

Fast forward to today–through the hours excitedly and intensely poring through news and politics, through realizations of who I am and what this crazy world is,, through needing to grow up and meeting that need (well, sorta).

Fast forward through all that, and I realize now, that their term “multicultural” was a PC euphemism  for “minority,” and being a minority was not an experience the majority shared. I also realize that maybe the reason I was so upset about the question before was because I thought minority-ness” was just about prejudices and nothing more. That’s not true. So are some hard truths and some of the fairly comedic facts of minority-ness:

1. When you have a “minority name,” roll calls of  any sort are a particular kind of torture… especially for the speaker. First comes the pregnant pause and the “oh, crap” expression (sometimes followed by “why couldn’t these parents just friggin name him Bob, gosh darn it). Then the “I’m so sorry beforehand for butchering your name.” Next the stuttering and “uh” with that look of concentration and “I haven’t felt this silly sounding out a word since kindergarten” painted all across their face. After they finally choke that out, they ask you like 12 different times how it’s actually pronounced and if they’re saying it correctly now (but they don’t really care). And the whole time they’re suffering through that, you’re just cringing. Your name in their mouth just sounds like a square peg in a round hole, and that’s not a pleasant sensation. I have honest to goodness gotten to the point that I know who comes before me on the attendance list and when I see that “oh, crap” face, I go “here!” really loudly so they (and I) don’t have to suffer through that.

2. Maintaining your culture outside its natural habitat is expensive. The few people who sell the foods of your heritage, the clothes of your native country, and the non-English movies and songs you crave can charge whatever they want (capitalism at its finest). They can overprice the crap out of anything and everything because if you want it, you don’t really have a whole lot of options and you’re just gonna have to settle for the price if you want it that badly. For instance, my family and I have made the decision to only eat halal meat… unfortunately there aren’t a whole lot of vendors in this area that sell halal meat. So, without having to compete against Walmart and Shop N Save, they can charge whatever ludicrously high price they want because we don’t really have any other option.

3. Even without the price, it just is difficult in general not to conform. All PC rainbows and unicorns and melting pot BS aside, there is a very distinct American culture, and it’s not some utopian blend of every culture. We may have once been proud of being a nation of immigrants, but that’s not really American culture today.

It’s not wearing saris or sombreros; it’s blue jeans and a ball cap. And that’s why when you look down the street and see everybody wearing those blue jeans and ball caps, you’ll wear them too. Because you want to fit in. You’ll deny it and spew something about it being more comfortable or practical, but in the end you just want to feel like everybody else.

That need fades slightly after childhood, but past that. you’ve already established your style and daily life. and you don’t want to change it. So you just stick with the conformity. Because fighting it is a lot more effort than you can really afford to give.

4. When you leave home for any length of time, you begin to crave and lust for (like a junkie, withdrawals and all) for your native tongue and spices. If you don’t live in a community of people with similar heritages, your family is your only pipeline to the customs and traditions of your culture. So being away from them from any length of time means you come home begging your mommy to cook you some comfort food and not speak English (thank goodness I won’t be going too far away for college next year and come back on the weekends). Your family is your community, and people don’t get it because “but, you can get Italian just down the street,”

5. Except when people try to capitalize on your culture, it gets diluted and American-ized into something indistinguishable. 100% guarantee, the Mexican/Italian/Greek/Chinese food commercially available is not the real stuff. It’s a slightly less spicy, slightly more sketchy, and very not right. So that “Italian just down the street” is very much not a substitute for home cooking.

6. Politicians have a never-ending quest for the majority vote… which often leads minority-ness out in the cold. Democracy means politicians compete for the majority vote and target their every action to them. That’s why Obama pursuing the African- American vote made such a big splash; it really wasn’t something typically associated with the presidential playbook.

Foreign policy can be an especially sore spot. You tend to pay particular attention to what the candidates say they’re planning on doing in your country and whether or not they distinguish between the innocent people and the often power-hungry government—and that can definitely be a major selling point.

I generally favor the politician who votes to end the war overseas and doesn’t want to “police the world” (which is code for “strong-arm and bully until they accept the American way”), because that’s a big deal for me. Every politician focuses on making sure the economy is stable and the people are happy, but foreign policy often falls through the cracks, because many times, the majority doesn’t focus on it as much as the minority.

7. When you are a member of a minority, you are the minority. Your every action is often a direct reflection upon the groups to which you belong.The way you dress, the way you speak, the way you carry yourself through every situation—especially if it’s not absolutely impeccably—becomes the next thing people incorporate into their schema for your group.

My parents tried explaining this to me since… well, forever… that the way I behave affects the way that people think of whatever group I am a part of, regardless of whether that’s my religion, my race, or my school. I thought that was wholly unfair, so I ignored it… well, I still think it’s unfair, but I do realize now that I can’t ignore it. I hate that I have to guard my every move when I’m around strangers in case something I do becomes something Muslims do—that as a minority I have to represent my entire minority. Any blunder I make in my typical human fashion ought not to be attributed to my minority-ness, but it is. And while I don’t want to give up and embrace it as an unfortunate and immutable fact of life, it is a fact of life for many people today, immutable though it may not be.

But despite all that, some of the most patriotic people in America are members of  minorities.They gave up their old lives to immigrate here, because they had faith it would be better. Even if America isn’t perfect, who is? People suffering from minority-ness worked to become American citizen because they weren’t just born into it; they created the rhetoric everyone else is now spewing, and they meant it when they said it, rather than just mindlessly repeating.

So, being “multicultural” is great and funny and sad and unfortunate all at the same time.

The post I’m a member of a minority culture: Here’s what it’s like appeared first on Occasional Planet.

In the wake of the recent attempted suicide bombing at the Wichita airport, I fear a new resurgence of Islamophobic sentiment. The actions of one man based upon his perception of an otherwise peaceful religion ought not to be generalized to an entire population, but that does seem to be the media’s special talent. So, in an attempt to provide the information the media much prefers to suppress, allow me to inform you: Terry Lee Loewen did not act under the edicts of Islam. To say that he was a radical Muslim is pushing the boundaries of the truth. While I do not wish to blaspheme by saying he was not a Muslim, I cannot reconcile his violent notions with the peaceful religion of Islam, and to even say that Loewen is a radical Muslim is to acknowledge his connection to Islam. The media has overly and incorrectly used the words “Islam,” “Muslims,” “radicals,” and “jihad” so much that they no longer represent their true meanings in their everyday usage.

Misconception #1: Muslims hate America.

It is a miniscule minority of extremists who believe America is the “spawn of the devil.” According to a poll by Gallup, 93% of Muslims do not support these extremist views or terrorism. Yet listening to some media stations, one would think all Muslims are terrorists. The truth, however, is that America is home to nearly 3 million Muslims, and of them about 2,790,000 fully support America. Islam promotes unity between people of all colors and religions. “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you,” (49:13). Islam teaches that all people should be accepting of every person, for after all they are human, too.

Misconception #2: Islam supports and encourages terrorism.

It is extremely important to note that Islam is a peaceful religion, despite any media sensationalizing. In fact the Qur’an “…decree[s] upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul… – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely,” (5:32). Islam discourages violence in every form and condemns it as a sin.

Misconception #3: “Jihad” means suicide bombing, death, violence, etc.

Contrarily, jihad means “the struggle” and is most commonly used in reference to each individual’s internal struggle towards salvation and away from the earthly temptations of Satan and damnation. “The believers are only the ones who have believed in Allah and His Messenger and then doubt not but strive with their properties and their lives [in jihad] in the cause of Allah . It is those who are the truthful,” (49:15).

As for the idea that Islam promotes suicide bombing as a form of martyrdom that guarantees men virgins in heaven, this too is a common misconception. “…Do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful. And whoever does that in aggression and injustice – then We will drive him into a Fire.” (4:29-30). Suicide is explicitly prohibited in Islam; no exceptions. Suicide that would also cause innocent deaths is an even greater sin.

Misconception #4: Islam oppresses women and views them as inferior to men.

While this doesn’t necessarily directly relate back to Terry Lee Loewen’s heinous acts, it is important still to clarify: Islam does not disrespect women. Muslim women are not oppressed or inferior due to the edicts of their religion. Granted, in some Islamic countries, Muslim women are denied certain rights, but the actions of a group of people should not be generalized to an entire faith. To understand a religion, one should look to their book, not their people. While Saudi Arabia may only be now joining the modern era of gender equality, Islam was the first religion to explicitly deny men the right to oppress their female counterparts. Men cannot beat women. They cannot physically abuse them. Women have the right to ask for a divorce that carries equal weight as a man’s request. Women can bear witness to actions as men can. Consider this famous Islamic saying: “Heaven lies beneath your mother’s feet.” If Paradise lies beneath women, how can Islam oppress women?

Misconception #5: Muslims reject Jesus and worship “Allah,” a distinct entity from the Christian “God.”

Rather, “Allah” is simply the Arabic word for God. If one was to look at an Arabic translation of the Bible, they would note “Allah” frequently appears. Furthermore, Muslims believe there is only one true god whom all three monotheistic religions worship; thus the Jewish Yahweh, the Christian God, and the Muslim Allah are one and the same. The Qur’an tell Muslims to “say, ‘O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you – that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah,’” (3:64). Muslims also believe in Jesus and his virgin birth, but do not worship him as the son of God. Under Islamic creed, he is a mortal man of great moral fiber whom God made a prophet.

What I’m trying to say is that though some Muslims commit awful, heinous acts, it is not Islam (or the Qur’an) that commits those acts. We should always remember that there are people who commit awful heinous acts, regardless of the faith with which they identify themselves. After all, Timothy McVeigh, the man who bombed the FBI building in Oklahoma, was a terrorist but not a Muslim. Yes, there are Muslim extremists- such as Terry Lee Loewen- who have distorted the teachings of the Qur’an, even if they regard it as the ultimate authority… but there are similar extremists in every other religion, including Christianity. We simply cannot always take the prejudicial comments of the media and/or politicians at face-value. Consider this final statistic: 90% of all terrorist attacks are by non-Muslims.

Loewen asserted that

“the Muslim who is labeled ‘a radical fundamentalist’ is closer to Allah than the ones labeled ‘moderates.’ Just my opinion; if l’m off base, please set me straight.”

Well, Mr. Loewen, I hope this has set you straight. Islam does not hate America or encourage the attempted terrorism you perpetrated. So while you were correct that “the Qur’an and the sunnah of the Prophet [demand] jihad and the implementation of Sharia… of all the Muslim Ummah (people),” you were pretty far off base about what jihad in and of itself is. Please reread the Qur’an and do not place your contempt for the American government under the guise of Islamic sentiment.

The post 5 myths about Muslims, Islam and jihad appeared first on Occasional Planet.