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'All-American Muslim' Cast: Show Is Changing Attitudes
“All-American Muslim,” the cable reality show that follows five Dearborn families, has helped change attitudes about Muslim-Americans, cast members said Wednesday night at a panel discussion here.
Suehaila Amen, Bilal “Billy” Amen and Nina Bazzy, three people featured in the eight-part TLC cable network show, said they were happy they took part, despite criticism, including from some members of the Arab-American community.
“We’re American, just like everybody else,” Billy Amen told the audience at a Washington movie theater at the discussion sponsored by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. “We do our Fourth of July cookouts.”
The network is considering whether to renew the show for a second season. It airs at 10 p.m. Sundays on TLC. One episode remains of the first season.
“We would love it to get more eyeballs,” said Alon Orstein, TLC’s vice president for production and development on the East Coast and a show producer. He said Wednesday at the panel discussion in Washington that no decision had been made on a second season.
“We’re about families and telling compelling stories about families. Obviously, this show hit the bull’s-eye on both marks,” Orstein said.
He said the network is “extremely proud” of the show. “It’s been an amazing experience,” he said.
Dearborn is home to one of the largest concentrations of Arab-Americans in the United States.
Controversy over the show erupted in December when home-improvement retailer Lowe’s pulled its advertising, a move that followed the Florida Family Association’s email campaign against the show, which said in part, ” ‘All-American Muslim’ is propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda’s clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values.”
Lowe’s didn’t say whether the email campaign played a role in its decision.
Orstein said criticism of shows is nothing new.
“We get criticism on a lot of shows, not just this one,” he said, praising the families who took part. “It takes a lot of courage … to go on television and be yourself and talk about difficult subjects — and be open and honest.”
The cast members said they got a lot of feedback on Twitter and Facebook.
The show “created a lot of dialogue,” Billy Amen said.
But he said the show didn’t capture all of his personality. “I want people to know that I laugh,” he said.
Bazzy said criticism from some community members was hurtful, including about what she wore on the show.
“Once the show came on, everyone became really religious,” Bazzy said. “This is a reality show about my life. … I wasn’t trying to be anyone’s role model.”
Suehaila Amen said the show helped change attitudes about Dearborn.
“This show is dispelling Dearborn misconceptions. We’re not under sharia law,” she said.
The three said there was no script and they didn’t change who they were for the show.
“I’m not going to be someone I’m not. … What you see is what you get,” Suehaila Amen said.
She said she read painful messages about her on Facebook.
“It’s not easy to see hateful comments being made about you on Facebook or on Twitter, people feeling they can tell you how you should live your life because they are obviously the Islamic expert,” Suehaila Amen said.
The show’s members represent the community, she said.
“There are lot of Ninas in the community. There are a lot of Billys. There are a lot of Suehailas,” she said. “It is a reality.”
Despite the criticism, she would do it all again, she said.
“In a heartbeart,” she said.
David Shepardson
The Detroit News