Houston Muslims Attend Sold Out 'Evening with Zarqa Nawaz'
March 05, 2008
Over the weekend, Muslim Public Affairs Council held a sold-out dinner featuring Zarqa Nawaz, creator of the groundbreaking hit Canadian sitcom "Little Mosque on the Prairie" and comedian Preacher Moss.
Nawaz gave attendees a sneak peak at the season finale of the show's second second, and described how she launched her career and the remarkable success of sitcom in Canada and around the world. Debuted in January 2007, the show is the top-ranked show on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, has beat American Idol when aired in the same time slot in Canada.
"As a community, we're realizing that rather than sit back and complain about our representation, we have to be proactive in creating our own image," says Nawaz. "Become filmmakers, become journalists, own our own newspapers, participate in society."
The show also now airs in more a dozen countries around the world, including France, Switzerland, the Palestinian Territories, Turkey and across North Africa.
MPAC-Houston steering committee members AJ Durrani announced the re-emergence of the chapter, which will focus this year on providing two workshops on "Enhancing Civic Engagement" and "Truth Over Fear: Countering Islamophobia", and holding a local MPAC Young Leaders Summit this summer. Fellow steering committee members Afshan Jilani and Dr. Sayeed Siddiqui also discussed the need for greater intergenerational participation in political, media and civic affairs in the city of Houston.
The audience was also treated to a hilarious performance by comedian Preacher Moss, who recently completed a two month college tour called the "End of Racism Comedy and Lecture Tour."
Also on Saturday, MPAC's Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati, Community Development Director Haris Tarin and Communications Director Edina Lekovic conducted two interactive workshops on "Getting Your Voice Heard in the Media and Goverment" for local community members at the University of Houston. Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council is an American institution which informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic participation of Muslim Americans.
