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Monday 11 July 2011

Compare and contrast

ITV's 'Strictly Kosheer' per The Guardian:
'Now ladies, this one's for your fuller figures," says Joel, owner of the Mon Amie Studios, a ladieswear emporium in Prestwich, Manchester. A flurry of spendy barmitzvah mams coo in unison over the feathers and diamante trim. "I've never seen this one in the same frock twice," says Joel, raising an eyebrow. Strictly Kosher (Mon, 9pm, ITV1) the new doc about Manchester's 40,000-strong Jewish community is rather fantastic. As Joel wows the women with heels and head-dresses, the Jewish mums trade rival tales of who owns the largest walk-in shoe cupboard, who's got more impending grandchildren and who keeps the strictest Sabbath. "I wouldn't switch a kettle on," says Jewish mum Bernette Clarke, a force of nature who might be politely described as "formidable". "Someone else who isn't Jewish could put it on but I can't ask them, so sometimes you go round the houses for two hours before they get a cup of tea." Bernette's whistlestop tour of Jewish tradition is joyful. "That's my lovely daughter and her lovely husband, she's in Israel. Here's my son," Bernette stops and wobbles a harrassed-looking 20-year-old's cheeks, "Isn't he cute. He's so handsome, isn't he?" Bernette is giving us a trip around Jewish Salford. It's not looking good foreskin-wise for one small lump wrapped in a nappy as a legion of Manc men in kippahs huddle round in a suburban semi-detached living room. "Now, this is yer bris. All Jewish men are circumcised. Has to be done. I mean, I cried buckets when they did my first, but by the second I was fine. And you get a lovely Jewish baby at the end!" says Bernette gleefully. All the men polled seem quite sure babies don't feel any pain at eight days and they can't remember their own bris, so that's fine. "I always stand up the front!" says Bernette's husband with the relish of a man who won't let it put him off the post-op buffet. Bernette talks us through Sabbath preparation, which seems to be a lot of running about pre-cutting kitchen roll, taping up the light in the fridge to stop it flickering and passive-aggressively insinuating to all other members of the family that mother does everything in this house and everyone else is lazy.'

BBC Two's The Life of Muhammad per The Telegraph:
'Toby Dantzic looks ahead to a sensitively made documentary about the life of Islam's prophet.

The BBC’s new three-part series on the life of Muhammad, Islam’s founder and most important prophet, has already caused controversy. Iran’s culture minister Mohammad Hosseini has branded it an attempt ‘to ruin Muslims’ sanctity’.

Yet director Faris Kermani has already proved himself respectful to matters Muslim, as his awe-inspiring 2008 documentary ‘The Seven Wonders of the Muslim World’ bore out. And although this new series charts the landmark moments in Muhammad’s life, Kermani appropriately avoids images of the prophet’s face or dramatic reconstructions of events. Instead Al Jazeera English reporter Rageh Omaar makes Muhammad vivid by retracing his footsteps. There’s much to cover.

From his dramatic flight to Medina, to the founding of the Islamic constitution and his military highs and lows, Muhammad had a rich and varied history. Omaar begins his journey in Mecca, Muhammad’s Arabian birthplace, where he investigates the polytheistic, tribal society Muhammad was born into. His marriage to the wealthy older widow Khadija comes under scrutiny. And we learn how Muhammad received the first of his divine revelations and the impact it had on him and his family.

Throughout the series Omaar will be joined by a host of Islamic experts including academics, religious leaders and even a member of the Jordanian royal family. And as we follow Muhammad’s progress, the series will also examine his legacy, looking at Islam’s role in the world today and its attitude to contemporary society. '
So the Channel 4 documentary will cover 'His marriage to the wealthy older widow Khadija comes under scrutiny.' I wonder if they will also mention his marriage to the six year old Aisha, albeit only consummated when she was 9. I wonder if this 'sensitively made documentary' will mention Muhammad turning from peace to war, vanquishing Jews from Mecca/Medina, ordering the beheading of over 600 boys and men in one night or the mass killing all dogs in Mecca.

'..director Faris Kermani has already proved himself respectful to matters Muslim'
How strange that the BBC chose someone 'respectful to matters Muslim' to direct this series, when is the BBC respectful to matters Christian, let alone Jewish?

I wonder how often the programme will slip into BBC speak and call the 'Islamic prophet Muhammad' "the Prophet Muhammad". I have blogged about this BBC habit before. Muhammad is not the Christian prophet or the Jewish prophet and is certainly not the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh or indeed prophet of any religion other than Islam. I find it offensive to be told about "the Prophet Muhammad".

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I assume you've now watched The Life of Muhammad? If so would you like to reassess your ponderings?

Having watched it, Rageh Omaar did refer to "Muhammad, prophet of Islam" and also to "the prophet Muhammad" but only ever in the context of either mentioning Muslims or Islam at the same time.

Looks like from the teaser episode two will be looking at the turn towards war and I assume the dubious marriage aspects.

As for being respectful of Christianity and Judaism I'd suggest that The Story of Jesus and Jews were both very respectful in their approach to the respective religions.

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen it, but Omar's efforts have been demolished by bloggers on B-BBC, including the many factual errors.
The BBC are utterly committed to Islam and opposed to all other religions, so would never broadcast a documentary critical of that religion.

Anonymous said...

Grant, if you didn't watch it don't comment on it, and you shouldn't allow others to form your opinions for you. Here's a challenge for you to see if you actually can form opinions of your own: watch the first episode and point out what you believe to be factual errors - without cribbing from Biased BBC.

Anonymous said...

The BBC would not dare to offend Islam. They will not be telling the truth about this so called religion; which it is not, Islam is a chameleon system of belief. It is political but it operates as religion. It is religion but it has a political goal. It intrudes in the personal lives of all living beings, not just it's believers. Virtually all religions, no matter how diverse they are, have at their core the belief that one should treat others as one wishes to be treated. The Quran itself is adamant about disallowing any criticism of the Quran (and calls for a death sentence for doing so). Dear brain washed people of Britain - please think about the dangers of the proliferation of Islam & the rising number of Mosques in this country - is it not apparent what is happening? If you don't care for yourself, then perhaps you will care for the sake of your children.