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".
