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The Little Mosque On the Prairie

Examining (Multi) Cultural Spaces of Nation and Religion

University of Texas, Austin, sancacue{at}gmail.com

In the post-9/11 geopolitical context characterized by the reinforcement of orientalist ideas about Islam, and increasing xenophobia against Muslims, this article examines the politics of representation of Canadian television comedy Little Mosque on the Prairie. Drawing upon Frederic Jameson's contributions and postcolonial feminist critiques of western feminism, it highlights the ways this television show challenges orientalist conceptions of Islam and Muslims—particularly Muslim women—promoting diversity and tolerance among people from different origins and religious beliefs. Moreover, it also shows how even though Little Mosque on the Prairie seeks to promote religious and cultural diversity, this promotion has its own limitations and marginalizes those expressions considered extreme or contrary to a liberal conception of multiculturalism.

Key Words: mainstream media • multiculturalism • Muslims • politics of representation • postcolonial feminisms

Cultural Dynamics, Vol. 20, No. 3, 195-211 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0921374008096309


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