"Little Mosque on the Prairie" a TV hit

By Amran Abocar

TORONTO (Reuters) - The creators of a new Canadian sitcom, "Little Mosque on the Prairie", are hoping the TV show will strike a chord beyond the country's borders as it portrays Muslims in a new light: funny.

The comedy, about a small Muslim community in the fictional Prairie town of Mercy, aired on Canadian television this week to mostly favorable reviews and spectacular ratings.

It concerns a community of devout Muslims and the inevitable misunderstandings that ensue when they interact with the locals in rural Saskatchewan.

"Laughter is a universal language," said Zarqa Nawaz, the hijab-wearing creator of the show whose previous films include "BBQ Muslims" and "Real Terrorists Don't Belly Dance".

"It's important to get over this assumption that Muslims are not funny or they can't take a joke or that we don't have the same sort of relationships that anyone else would have."

The show generated a lot of attention even before its first episode. The buzz was likely due more to the idea of controversy rather than any real daring in the program. Rumours that the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. hired a consultant to ensure Muslim sensibilities were not offended -- untrue, according to Nawaz -- only fanned the speculation.

"Muslims were really worried because issues in the media surrounding Muslims tend to be so skewed towards violence," said Nawaz, whose production company, FUNdamentalist Films, promises to put the "fun back into fundamentalism".

"Little Mosque on the Prairie" is more a gentle romp than biting satire, and it pokes fun at Muslims and non-Muslims alike.