Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/01/13/reza-aslan-explains-why-we-nee.html
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I’ve seen TV. There’s, like, loads of terrorists on all the time. /s
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What we really need is a lot less religion of any kind on TV.
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Do you think Bubba really cares if the brown person he’s beating up is a practicing Muslim?
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It certainly would be interesting to have a show staring Muslim characters that had the same structure as Modern Family, including two Muslim gay dads being accepted by their family and community. That’s what Aslan means, right? 
I’m all for more real Muslim characters on TV who aren’t terrorist Number 2 and whatnot to get past “Islamophobia”, but if Aslan is going to invoke Modern Family and Will and Grace as examples to be followed, he needs to address Islam and homophobia.
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Yes. Racists can hate more than one thing. Doesn’t make them less racist, though.
EDIT: Really not seeing any legitimate reason why this could have been “flagged by the community”. I think racists can hate more than one thing and am in no way excusing racists, rather I condemn them all the more.
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I can explain why we need more Muslim representation on TV: Because they are human beings too.
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So no, they wouldn’t care, because to them brown is brown, and the Muslim thing would just be an added bonus (if true).
So, yes, they would by your own statement.
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All religions have nut jobs. The biggest religion has the MOST nut jobs. Let’s make a tv show about that.
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You mean:
It’s low hanging fruit.
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If you put a show about religious nut jobs on TV, too many people will see it as a lifestyle guide.
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I would like to see more Arabs or Persians depicted in popular media as the human beings they are for a personal and selfish reason. A doctor I see is of Iranian ancestry and I once witnessed him doing an impression for his coworkers of the dead terrorist character that ventriloquist comic dude does. Maybe it didn’t crush his soul like it did mine. Either way, no one should have to endure that.
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So for you to take him seriously, he needs to give you all the answers to your concerns? I’m not sure that’s fair.
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Pretty much:
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Well, The War at Home brought it up…
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Mr. Aslan seems to be a very knowledgeable and reasonable person. I think maybe he is focusing his efforts on the wrong people. The best way to keep non Muslims from associating devout Muslims with things like honor killings is not a funny TV show where the daughters are allowed to date and dress western. It is to work with religious authorities in western countries to actually put an end to the practice.
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Having more Muslim PEOPLE on TV doesn’t mean it has to be a show about Islam. Seinfeld wasn’t a show about Judaism.
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There’s some debate about that.
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