December 29, 2004
Muslim group upset with depiction on season premiere of 24
CAIR is in bitch and moan mode over the 4th season premiere of 24, airing on Fox on January 9.
The episode introduces a Muslim teenager and his parents as terrorists plotting an attack of mass destruction against Americans.
One of the villains is a Walkman-toting, bubble-gum-chewing teenager who fights with his conservative Dad about dating an American girl and talking on the phone.I hate to be politically incorrect, but I don't see the problem here. Do you? Posted by mhking at December 29, 2004 08:28 PMThe young man also helps his parents mastermind a plot to kill large numbers of Americans that begins with an attack on a train.
Over the breakfast table, the father tells his son: “What we will accomplish today will change the world. We are fortunate that that our family has been chosen to do this.“Yes, father,” his son replies.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights and advocacy group, plans to bring their concerns about the episode to Fox, says group spokeswoman Rabiah Ahmed.
That group has previously received complaints about the depiction of Muslims on 24, but this episode is particularly egregious, she said.
“They are taking everyday American Muslim families and making them suspects. They’re making it seem like families are co-conspirators in this terrorist plot." In another scene, she says, a terrorist is shown coming out of a mosque. The way the episode depicts Muslims creates an atmosphere in which many Americans look at all Muslims as suspects in the war on terror, she adds. “It’s very dangerous and very disturbing.”
Actually, no. We all are stereotyped. Get over it, Muslims, like the rest of us.
Posted by: Indigoi at December 29, 2004 11:39 PMHopefully someday they'll come to realize that the way to fix the negative image of Islam is to fix Islam itself, not force people to paint them a pretty portrait.
Posted by: Me at December 30, 2004 02:23 AMArnold got the same reaction for his film "True Lies" depicting a gang of terrorists as (shock) muslims...and that was pre 9/11. We've said this before, we'll just have to keep saying it: not all muslims are terrorsts, but all terrorists are muslims.
Posted by: Michael at December 30, 2004 09:06 AMCan't wait for "24." This is their second time having Muslim terrorists in four seasons (the other years were Serbs and, I believe, South Americans)- which sounds about right.
Happy new year
Posted by: Stephen Silver at December 30, 2004 03:03 PMI'm sick of being stereotyped as a mafioso...oh wait, no I'm not.
Nobody F's with me, cuz I might be "connected".
How DARE they depict muslims as terrorists. After all, we know that thre has NEVER been a Muslim terrorist problem anywhere in the world, and that no Muslim child has ever been involved in terrorist activity.
What could Fox have been thinking, in a day and age when we are faced with such a horrific problem with Buddhist terrorists!
Posted by: The Precinct Chair at January 1, 2005 10:42 PMYeah, well, it's still my favorite show. I don't care if they have Steve Urkel preparing to nuke New York City.
Posted by: Julie Anne Fidler at January 3, 2005 07:22 PMThey'll get over it.
Posted by: Jim at January 4, 2005 10:10 PM