Little Mosque on the Prairie

For many Westerners, the word Muslim conjures up images of stern, bearded mullahs. But a new Canadian sitcom, Little Mosque on the Prairie, may lighten up that image through the universal language of laughter.

The sitcom centers on the comedic events in the daily lives of Muslims in a fictional Midwestern town. In one scene, the mosque’s imam condemns the TV show Desperate Housewives by saying, “Why should they be desperate when they’re only performing their natural womanly duties?”

A young woman then whispers to her mother, “Hey, did you tape last night’s episode?”

The show’s debut drew a record 2 million viewers for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Let’s hope that each episode’s dose of laughs succeeds in demystifying Muslims, revealing that under those head scarves and behind those beards, we’re all human.