US: Reality show on lives of Muslims to be launched

New York:  Reality TV welcomes a brand new program in the United States which follows the lives of American Muslims and makes its debut on Sunday. 

According to press statements from the cable channel, ”All American Muslims” deal with the same small and large issues of life that other Americans encounter. A new eight-part series on TLC that premieres November 13 will try to answer that question by following the lives of five very different Muslim-American families.

The show, “All-American Muslim,” was filmed in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit that’s known for its large Arab-American population and America’s largest mosque.

It promises to go “inside the rarely seen world of American Muslims to uncover a unique community struggling to balance faith and nationality in a post 9/11 world.”

According to reports, the show’s producers selected a diverse group of people and topics. It will cover segments on sisters who are polar opposites (one wears a headscarf and prays daily, the other has tattoos – forbidden in Islam– and is married to an Irish Catholic). It will also follow the story of a high school football coach, and newlyweds.

The media kit hopes to show people who “share the same religion, but lead very distinct lives that often times challenge the Muslim stereotype.” Additionally, the series will also delve into the hot topics of post 9/11 life for Muslims and gender roles in Islam.

The show’s ambition to provide an encompassing portrayal of an entire faith community takes it into risky territory.