Muslim reality show to premiere on TLC
(November 8, 2011) – What is it like to be Muslim in America?
TLC answers that question with All-American Muslim, a series that goes inside the rarely seen world of American Muslims to uncover a unique community struggling to balance faith and nationality in a post 9/11 world.
TLC announced that the new eight-episode reality series will premiere on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 10 p.m.
All-American Muslim follows the daily lives of five American Muslim families inDearborn,Michigan, one of the most established and largest concentrations of American Muslims in the country.
Each episode offers an intimate look at customs and celebrations, as well as misconceptions, conflicts, and differences these families face outside and within their own community.
From the challenges of marriage to juggling busy careers while raising a family, the families featured in All-American Muslim share their biggest celebrations and their unexpected challenges.
The show reveals how these individuals negotiate universal family issues while remaining faithful to the traditions and beliefs of their faith.
Though they all share a same religion, the families of All-American Muslim lead very different lives. Among the families profiled:
- Suehaila and Shadia: Suehaila wears a traditional headscarf and follows daily prayer rituals, while Shadia, her outspoken sister, is decorated with piercings and tattoos and recently married Jeff, an Irish Catholic who is converting to Islam.
- Nader and Nawal Aoude: Newlyweds expecting their first baby, Nader and Nawal are working to strike the right balance between their traditional Muslim roots and American culture.
- Fouad Zaban: As head coach of the Fordson High School football team, Fouad has pioneered a shift in his team’s summer practice schedule by switching to night workouts to accomodate the majority of his team players who are Muslim and fasting for Ramadan.
- Mike and Angela Jaafar: Mike, a deputy chief sheriff, and his wife Angela, a consultant to a major auto manufacturer, are juggling their busy careers with raising their four children in a modern Muslim family.
- Nina Bazzy: A strong independent Muslim businesswoman, Nina’s family runs the premier wedding and banquet hall in Dearborn—but against their advice, she is trying to venture off on her own to open a nightclub.
- Samira Amen-Fawaz and Ali Fawaz: Samira and Ali struggle with fertility issues and are pursuing numerous options, including conventional fertility techniques, dietary alternatives, and Muslim supplication prayers. After years of unsuccessful attempts, Samira is considering putting on the Hijab in order to be closer to God and be blessed with a child.