Cultural Diversity And Tolerance Through Our Television...

Josh Obrien Canadian Studies 339 UCID #00278635 In Canada there is a strong reflection of our cultural diversity and tolerance through our television shows, as they have the ability to use the humour of realistic narratives and social dynamics to highlight social equality and intercultural balance. A recent show that did this was Canadian television show Little Mosque on the Prairie, created by Zarqa Nawaz through WestWind Pictures. It was filmed in Toronto Ontario and a small community named Indian Head Saskatewan. The show aired in 2007, but was then rebroadcast to other countries including parts of Africa, Israel and Gaza strip (Macdonald 2012). Zarqa Nawaz based much of the show on her personal experiences, and many of the characters are partially inspired by her family and friends. Nawaz claims that the nature of the show is not necessarily a satire, rather she states: Little Mosque on the Prairie is a sit-com and not a political satire. I want people to find the hilarity in the show and recognize the similar issues that appear in all our lives. It’s important to normalize the community within the greater community so as not to be seen as the ‘other’ but to recognize that we all have universal themes which exist in all communities. I simply want people to laugh with Muslims like they would laugh at anyone else and feel comfortable doing so† (Oumlil 2012: 2000). Each episode of the series lasts approximately 22 minutes and follows a conventional Story-line. The show