Excerpt: But it's the one that needs to be heard so that British Muslims can simply get on with being who they are instead of continually being defined on other people's terms and in other people's words. Women in Black - even the name says it all. >> Something's been missing in my television viewing pleasure and it's not just Ugly Betty or The OC. What could it be? Oh, it's been a while since we had our latest round of 'Let's look at Muslims' documentaries; there's been no Make me a Muslim or Divorce Sharia-style for ages. Perhaps it's because Alan Sugar is doing such a wonderful job of filling the scary-old-man-with-beard quota on The Apprentice - who knows? But if anyone has been missing their near-weekly dose of jilbabs and jihadis, fret not - the good old BBC is bringing Muslims back again. Woohoo! A new five-part series on Muslim women called Women in Black starts next week. The series boldly goes where no undercover Dispatches investigative journalist has ever been before. Yes, you guessed it, under the burka. Ever wondered what lies beneath? Jack Straw did. Last summer, I was asked to take part in the programme. The makers said they wanted to shatter stereotypes and show the empowered, modern, young, cool Muslim woman (presumably because we haven't gone off the rails like the modern, young, British, uncool Muslim man). Would I take part? 'Of course,' I said. Am I not empowered and modern and Muslim and cool? Hell, yes. So I met the production team and one of the women (not Muslim, by the way) pulled out a little camera and filmed me saying, among other things, how irritating it is that non-Muslims act surprised that I'm Muslim just because I choose not to cover my head. It went well, I thought, and so they said. But - and this was quite a big but - they were a bit concerned about my appearance. 'Your dress is quite Western,' they said ruefully. I was wearing jeans and a short-sleeved top (yes, I really do remember what I was wearing that day. How could I not? I thought I was going to be famous and on TV), but I was hardly scantily clad. So much for the empowered, modern, young, cool Muslim woman; turns out what the BBC really wanted was a authentic, well-covered one instead. You see, burkas make good TV. I don't. I've just taken a look at the show. What we get is the presenter donning an abaya and going to Yemen to show us all the fun things us Muslim women do, like wear long, black cloaks, party in the women's quarters and put sparkly eyeshadow on. 'Waxing's a big deal among Muslim women,' she says, causing an cringe from me. 'Having any hair is a complete social faux pas. The "Hollywood" that all the celebs are doing started in the Middle East' From Yemen, she is heading to Dubai, before returning to London to do it presumably again, only this time with less gaudy eye make-up (I hope). Sadly, my story, the fairly common, non-conflicting story where cultures don't clash, but sit quietly side by side with minimal effort required, is one that never gets the limelight. But it's the one that needs to be heard so that British Muslims can simply get on with being who they are instead of continually being defined on other people's terms and in other people's words. Women in Black - even the name says it all. ---------------------------------
Subject: The wrong kind of muslim for British TV - Guardian Date: 4/27/2008 7:57:50 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time From: ashafquat@optonline.net I'm the wrong kind of Muslim for the TV
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Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm
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Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf
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MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm
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Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/
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MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm
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German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm
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Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm
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VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/
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