Jamal Awil

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Media campaigns can shut down shows depicting nuanced religious communities. [causal]

All-American Muslim is a reality show that follows five Muslim families living in Dearborn, Michigan, known for its sizable Muslim community. Viewers have an opportunity to observe the daily lives of these families and how their faith informs who they are. The general manager of TLC, the cable network airing the program, stated: "We wanted to show there was diversity even within the Muslim community. These are families that might have beliefs that are different than yours, but we are all living similar daily lives and hopefully we will bring that to light." Unfortunately, the network canceled the show after one season. The show suffered from low ratings and from a controversy in which some sponsors pulled their ads after the Florida Family Association, a conservative Christian organization, launched a campaign against the program on the basis that it promoted "propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values." Because the show did not include extremist Muslims, insisted the organization, it provided the public with an inaccurate view of Islam's true nature.

SEED: Excellent article angle: how representation of moderate religious communities becomes collateral damage in culture wars, and who controls the narrative of 'true' identity.

Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Intro…, loc. 536