CAIRO — Humorous, funny and smart are not the usual traits attributed to Muslims in Australia, that’s unless you are watching a new TV show that breaks down stereotypes about them.
“For me, it’s very important that this show is about Muslims, not about Islam,” Susan Carland, one of the Muslim panelists of Salam Café show, told The Age on Thursday, May 15.
“It’s just showing that Muslims are normal people. We’re not from Planet Islam.”
Salam café, a Muslim comedy panel and chat show, began screening on May 7 at Australia’s public broadcaster SBS.
Every Wednesday, the show offers the audience a compelling look at the funny side of life as an Australian Muslim with six regular panelists.
The main host is Ahmed Imam, acting chief executive of the Islamic Council of Victoria.
Also sitting on the panel are journalist and lawyer Waleed Aly and Muslim comedians Nazeem Hussain and Aamer Rahman.
Imam believes the motivation for the series was to show Australia the Muslim community as they know it.
“I was born and raised here in Australia,” says the father of four and the son of the Mufti of Australia.
“Within the Muslim community there are now more parents who have grown up here and who understand the environment and significance of the cultural values.”
Muslims, who have been in Australia for more than 200 years, make up 1.5 percent of its 20-million population.
Islam is the country’s second largest religion after Christianity.
Stereotypes
The Muslim hosts believe their show would highlight the Australians’ fears and misconceptions regarding the Muslim community.
“Obviously the whole world was turned on its head post-September 11,” says Imam.
“There was a lot of heat in the kitchen.”
“What do you know about Muslims?” one of the panelists asked a passer-by in one of the show’s vox pops.
“Not a lot,” answered he young man. “But I know that their beliefs are pretty dangerous.”
“What do you think of Muslims?” another was asked.
“I hate ‘em,” was the simple, straight answer.
In post 9/11 Australia, Muslims have been haunted with suspicion and have had their patriotism questioned.
A 2007 poll taken by the Issues Deliberation Australia (IDA) think-tank found that Australians basically see Islam as a threat to the Australian way of life.
A recent governmental report revealed that Muslims are facing deep-seated Islamophobia and race-based treatment like never before.
But Imam, the main TV show host, believes time would heal the wounds.
“Everybody has their time. The Italians, the Greeks, the Asians, they all had their time. Now it’s the Muslims,” he notes.
“The Italians, Greeks and Asians have all come through that, and it’s going to happen with Muslims, too, and hopefully this show will assist with that process.”
Humor
One powerful tool the show uses to break down stereotypes about Muslims is comedy.
“People are probably not expecting the kinds of stuff that comes out of our mouths,” host Imam told The Age.
“Even (producer) Ted Robinson said, ‘When I saw the show the first time, I was laughing at what you were laughing at. I couldn’t feel any distance’,” he remembers.
Carland, one of the show’s Muslim panelists, is usually introduced by Imam as “the Imelda Marcos of hijabs”.
Some of the regular segments are “Where’s Osama”, the Idol rip-off, and “Australian Imam, the search for Australia’s most controversial Imam”.
“Humor is a particularly Australian characteristic,” says host Imam.
“Humor is probably a reflection of the new kinds of Muslim in Australia, who are comfortable living and practicing their faith and joking.”
Carland also believes it is important to show that Muslims have no problem laughing at themselves and the way they are misrepresented.
“It’s showing the human face of the Muslim community.
“People will see that we won’t eat their babies,” she quipped.
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