More on the Git Box (Make me a Muslim Lesbian)

Must confess saw all 3 episodes of “Make Me A Muslim”.

Must confess also that the title reminded me of a graphitti wall of yesteryear which ran “MY MOTHER MADE ME A LESBIAN” underneath some wag had written “IF I SENT HER THE WOOL WOULD SHE MAKE ME ONE”.

So format of show was they had an Iman (Muslim vicar) on a mission. Goes to Harrogate, here in the West Riding of Yorkshire, a town with few Muslims. Recruits happy go lucky band of non Muslims prepared to give Islam a go if only for 3 weeks.

Now, if there are any identity questions within Islam (and I for one suspect there are some within all of the “great faith traditions”) none came out in this programme, alas. Is someone a “bad Muslim” if they drink alcohol moderately? Or have soft porn? Or hard porn? Or sleep with their fiancé? Or cuddle their boyfriend/girlfriend after a row during Ramadan?

Anyway, Brit Bloke taxi driver Phil seemed to do a lot of the first episode nipping of for a pint, a bacon butty and even a trip to Harrogate’s only strip club. So it was decided that Harrogate is a town with too much temptations… who’d have thought it! I’m on my way! LOL

Also having decided that Luke’s homosexuality was un-Islamic, it seems they felt this was as a result of too much female company (?!?!) so they arranged for him to have more male company (?) and more cricket. Well as I think I recall Luke saying: got his testosterone going hehe.

And there was at least one advert for a product containing dead pigs in the ad breaks. Lead us not into temptation….

Anyway with the rise of Unreality Television, Elimination Shows and so on, television is more than ever it would seem about conflict. So if this band of willing Harrogate Muslims and their mentors had been relatively conflict free, I am sure creative tension would have been introduced anyway. For a start it can usually be done in the selection of the “contestants” (in this case the volunteers and their mentors).

Back to issues of Identity. I must confess to being a non Muslim. I wonder however if the definition of Islam used here has been a particular definition of what constitutes “Orthodox” Islam. Perhaps there are people out there who would define themselves as Muslims but who don’t wear the Hijab? Perhaps they would agree that Islam demands modesty but how much?