Press Release Author = Multicultural Business Council
Industry = Small Business
Press Release Summary = MBC applauds the new Canadian Muslim sitcom, \"Little Mosque on the Prairie\"
Press Release Body = Viewers across Canada and some border cities in the United States were treated to a fresh new sitcom on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation this week. "Little Mosque on the Prairie" premiered to a viewing audience more than double CBC\'s average.
Attempting to blend national and religious humor is always a risk for a producer. Even when it is done effectively, it can be difficult for the producer to find an outlet for the finished product as a broadcasters worry about sponsors and a viewer backlash.
Zarqa Nawaz, the show\'s creator, set out to produce a program that would show Canadians a real-life view of the Muslim culture. Nawaz decided on a comedy because, as she says, "laughter is a universal language".
She pitched the show to CBC, who had the courage to order eight episodes, the first appearing this week. The show was heavily acclaimed for its tasteful blending of devout Muslims with Midwest Canadians. The storyline centers around a lawyer from Toronto who decides to leave his promising career and become a small town imam.
Wahida Valiente, national vice-president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, is quoted by Reuters as saying, "It\'s a beginning, we have never had any comedy shows per se about the Muslim community."
MBC, a global cultural empowerment organization located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, salutes those who are able to use entertainment to introduce a specific culture to the masses. "Little Mosque on the Prairie", was certainly able to do so. The show was seen in Detroit on CBET channel 9 in Windsor, Ontario, which shares the border with Detroit. According to rating services the show attracted 2.1 million Canadians, a remarkable achievement considering the network normally peaks at one million viewers.
In addition to exploring the Muslim culture, the show is able to explore small-town Canadian culture and even had some fun with the differences between big cities and small towns and the difficulty some Muslims experience during air travel.
At present Nawaz has not indicated any plans to develop versions of the shows for other countries.
About Multicultural Business Council
Multicultural Business Council is a membership organization based near Detroit, Michigan. Its purpose is to connect cultures through commerce. MBC offers certification programs, events, cultural trips, and other venues to increase awareness and appreciation of the multiple cultures flavoring the world. For more information about the Multicultural Business Council, send an email to rick@mbcglobal.org or visit www.mbcglobal.org.
Web Site = http://www.mbcglobal.org
Contact Details = Rick Weaver||1720 Northumberland Drive, Suite 202||Rochester Hills , 48309||$$country||||248-802-6138||rick@mbcglobal.org||http://www.mbcglobal.org
2012
