**Minor Spoiler Alert**
In the first episode of the new FX series ‘TYRANT’, a scene that could have been billed as both climatic and anti-climatic involved a Muslim driving a Ferrari and forcing a woman to do something sexual that she didn’t want to do. In the moments that followed, the character known as Jamal Al Fayeed had blood shooting out of his crotch right before his car flew over a cliff.
Cast of ‘TYRANT’
Last week, Muslim Brotherhood front group CAIR – obviously hypersensitive about what it terms ‘Islamophobia’ – demanded that critics monitor the program for stereotyping. In reality, CAIR is really concerned about two things: 1.) getting attention and 2.) preventing Americans from learning more about Middle Eastern culture.
The Washington Post’s Alyssa Rosenberg wasted no time following CAIR’s marching orders in an article published one day after the first episode aired. Rosenberg excoriated the series in practically every way a dhimmi could find, from defending Jamal’s character as one completely unrelated to Middle Eastern culture to criticizing FX for casingt Rayner – a British American actor – in the lead role when Lebanese actor was available.
Here is what CAIR’s National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said after watching the first episode during a screening last week:
“In the pilot of FX’s ‘Tyrant,’ Arab Muslim culture is devoid of any redeeming qualities and is represented by terrorists, murderous children, rapists, corrupt billionaires and powerless female victims,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “In ‘Tyrant,’ even the ‘good’ Arab Muslims are bad.”
Apparently lost on Hooper is the fact that the woman in the Ferrari ceased being a “powerless female” victim right before the car went over the cliff.
Besides, such a critique coming from the likes of Hooper likely contributed to getting more people to watch the show than who otherwise would. That premise is borne out by the ratings as 2.1 million people watched the show’s first episode.
Keep talking Mr. Hooper… Please.
In the show, Jamal – the son of a Middle Eastern dictator who makes a habit of raping married women – was inspired by the sons of Saddam Hussein, Uday and Kusay. Frankly, that’s not a stereotype; it’s called basing a character on real life figures.
The main character in the show, however, is Jamal’s brother Barry Al Fayeed, played by Adam Rayner. The premise is that Barry fled his family for the U.S. as a teenager upon having a bout with his conscience; he later became a pediatrician. After being prodded to return to his home country (Abbudin) to attend his nephew’s wedding, Barry relented in the face of his American family’s excitement.
The inclination of the viewer may be to see Barry’s wife as a bit of a blissfully ignorant dhimmi but communication is not something her husband is comfortable engaging in.
In short, there are graphic sexual scenes in the show but that doesn’t mean Muslims are being stereotyped. Are we to believe the Middle East isn’t home to sexual crimes?
CAIR can go pound sand (not a stereotype).
h/t WZ