24 is a comic book show. No one can be tortured and everything else that happens to Jack Bauer over each 24 hours and be standing much less save the world. So should Muslims be upset by comic book portrayals of them? And given how real Muslim terrorists have been implicated in and conducted real terrorist acts, is it unreasonable to show them doing so on a TV show?
Two years ago, Muslim groups protested when the plot of the hit Fox drama “24″ cast Islamic terrorists as the villains who launched a stolen nuclear missile in an attack on America.
Now, after a one-year respite during which Russian separatists played the bad guys on the critically acclaimed series, Muslims are back in the evil spotlight. Unlike last time, when agent Jack Bauer saved the day, the terrorists this time have already succeeded in detonating a nuclear bomb in a Los Angeles suburb.
Being portrayed again as the heartless wrongdoers has drawn renewed protests from Muslim groups, including one that had a meeting with Fox executives two years ago over the issue. (Watch why “24″ is worrying Muslims Video)
“The overwhelming impression you get is fear and hatred for Muslims,” said Rabiah Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations. She said Thursday she was distressed by this season’s premiere. “After watching that show, I was afraid to go to the grocery store because I wasn’t sure the person next to me would be able to differentiate between fiction and reality.”
By the way, in case you ever wondered who you should have on your side in a bar fight (and who hasn’t), Jack Bauer or Harry Potter, here’s one guy’s opinion.
I think a lot of people are too sensitive. 24 tries not to be stereotypical, but they don’t shy away from controversy either–which is why I like the show so much. They’re “fair and balanced”–pun intended–because on the one hand you have the terrorists that would love to nuke us (gee, that’s not too far fetched is it), and on the other hand you have the Muslims that respect law and order and are willing to sacrifice to do the right thing.
Relax everyone, next year will bring different terrorists to piss off another group of sensitive individuals. Maybe it’ll be Greenpeace with the nukes next year?
The muslim community should just consider the source “Fox” and realize it just a stupid television show.
Maybe so, but it is popular. I also stand by my above comment.
After skimming through these posts, it seems many have overlooked the fact that its a Muslim, who supposedly has reformed ( at least in the first few episodes) , that is helping Jack for the purpose of stopping the terrorists. Yet here and in other reports I see little or no mention of this.
makes me wounder how many are actually watching the show and how may are just commenting on the story
that should be “Muslim Terrorist”, to be more precise, that is supposedly reformed, not simply reformed Muslim.
I would have mentioned Assad, but I dont know that I trust him yet. This show has a history of red herrings and sudden course changes.
I want to believe that Assad is genuine, but I’m not sure yet. So I only listed the “for sure” positive portrayals of Muslims.
#8 flip the channel and move along. I hate almost all MTV programs (both US and latin america were they use communism as a marketing tool), but I don’t think I’m about to start a mass complaint about it.
#13 – gquaglia
“Just a case of art imitating life. Muslims are the majority of terrorists in the world, so it just makes sense that they would be portrayed on TV as such. Maybe Muslims don’t like what they see, because deep down they know its the truth. Like looking in the mirror and not liking what you see.”
I couldn’t've put it better.
Maybe the “aggrieved” groups which get their burqas in a wad over being “stereotyped” would be better advised to save their protests for their own members whose actions give rise to the stereotypes. Y’think?
I think they call that ‘addressing the problem at the source.’