Introduction

If in the early 2000s, a person had been asked to imagine a progressive Muslim comedy, the kind aimed at challenging some of the most pernicious stereotypes about Muslims post-9/11, a relatively tame sitcom set in a sleepy farming community in rural Saskatchewan, Canada, would seem an unlikely setting. On the surface, offering social commentary about pervasive global issues such as Islamophobia and multiculturalism seems miscast on a landscape known more for grain elevators than minarets. The TV sitcom genre might also feel miscast for the job. For many, a traditionally styled sitcom is merely light-hearted entertainment, poorly suited for earnest topics. What might the comedic genre contribute to the discourse on Muslim communities? Furthermore, how did this style both enable and constrict the underlying social commentary the series offered? This is the nature of questions that make Little Mosque on the Prairie (Little Mosque) (2007– 2012) a curious case study on the intersections between humour, Muslim communities, and social commentary in a Western media context. Accordingly, this chapter explores why the relatively mild-mannered sitcom from Canada has become one of the most influential early instances of popular Muslim-centred comedy in the Western world.

What follows in this chapter is an exploration of two related ideas. First, the chapter examines how Little Mosque used traditional sitcom conventions in a new context to create a niche in the comedy landscape that was simultaneously familiar and comfortable but also innovative and fresh in its portrayal of Muslim characters. Yet, using this curious mixture of old and new raises pertinent questions about the series. From its earliest conception, the series aimed to deliver social commentary about what it meant to be Muslim in Canada for the broader viewing audience. The show's emergence allows for a closer examination of comedy's capacity to communicate culturally meaningful messages. As social justice scholar Ozlem Sensoy noted, ‘[Little Mosque] also grew out of a particular social moment, 9/ 11, and had these pedagogical goals – teaching white folks about a different kind of Muslim person’ (cited in Menon, 2012).