It started with Little Joe on Bonanza; you’ve seen the reruns and you’ve hummed the theme song. Then Little Joe went family fare and moved into a Little House on the Prairie. This is the television icon of conservative, what-a-wonderful-life-we-all-had-in-the-good-old-days Americana, if ever there was. I have watched a seemingly infinite number of reruns of both programs, but to my knowledge the only Orientals in sight were Chinese; no Muslims crossed the prairie.

So it is certainly time for a Little Mosque on the Prairie, even if it debuts in Canada rather than Kansas. Yes, fellow Americans, Muslims can be funny and not just the butt of Islamophobic jokes. It may not be surprising that nearly 2 million viewers tuned into the premier of the new television series on CBC. Unlike the Danish Cartoon controversy, where non-Muslims intentionally tried to anger Muslims with satire, this is a program created with Muslims. It is not scripted in al-Azhar, but neither is it a northern variant of South Park. The scripts are well written and poignant. The acting is quite credible. And talk about success? There is already a Wikipedia webpage for the program. Coverage has been widespread, including NPR and The New York Times

The punsters are out in farce. My favorite review is called “Hijabbing fun with Little Mosque on the Prairie” by Amran Abocar.

For video clips, you will find several on YouTube by typing in the title. Clips can also be found at the following links:
http://littlemosqueontheprairie.wordpress.com/
http://www.altmuslim.com/perm.php?id=1860_0_25_0_C

So relax, take off your shoes, check your prejudice at the door and visit this little mosque. With all the tragedy swirling around the mere mention of Islam, this kind of humor can only be heaven sent, no matter which address you have for Paradise.

Daniel Martin Varisco