More than 1000 people complained after Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra) was shown eating during the day, a practice prohibited during the Islamic holy month. A BBC statement said the broadcaster's intention was not to offend or insult Muslim or Islamic values and stressed the scene was intended to highlight Masood's own weaknesses.
"Within shows such as EASTENDERS we try to treat our characters as individuals with their own sets of behaviours and opinions, regardless of their religion, race or sexuality and, as in real life, they do not always strictly follow all the laws, traditions and customs of their religions. The Masoods have already proven to be popular with viewers, and we have in general been delighted by the response to them. However, they are a group of just four characters and should not be seen to represent the entire British-Asian or British Muslim experience. Although Masood is a practising Muslim, he has his own fallibilities as a human being. Our intention was never to focus primarily on the religion, but on the character's ability to meet the standards he aspires to in life."
Threat to blow up EASTENDERS
Furious Muslims have issued threats against EASTENDERS bosses over a storyline that showed an Asian character breaking his Ramadan fast. postman Masood Ahmed was spotted snacking on a chapati during the holy month. BBC chiefs said the incident was supposed to show the “fallibility” of Masood – played by Nitin Ganatra, 40.
But hundreds of angry Muslims have accused the soap of mocking their religion. And some have even threatened the show’s bosses on internet sites. Security has now been stepped up amid fears a militant bomb nut may target the show and its stars.
One blogger said: “This is a slur on all Muslims. Those involved should pay the ultimate sacrifice. Why should our religion be used for a cheap laugh?”
Another, called VirIslam, wrote: “This is an insult to religion and to all Muslims. Yet again Islam is being laughed at on British television. They should be made to pay for this slur.”
Another rants: “It is vile that the holy month is being used for a cheap laugh. TV never portrays Muslims in a good light. We are always the evil bad guys. This plot is making us a laughing stock.”
More Quotes from Nancy Lee Grahn's "On My Porch" Chat"The gravity of the country's current situation has hit everyone very deeply, but I think that's particularly true for parents. It's been a tradition in America that that each generation of children could look forward to a better life than their parents had, but unfortunately that's no longer the case. I want my children to have that better life, and I'm doing as much as I can to make sure of it by supporting the candidate who I believe will provide it." - Mary Beth Evans
"The most important issue to me is change. We have been governed by a doctrine of fear and Barack Obama will lead the country with a message of hope. His ability to mobilize the youth of America will be our best resource to regain the ground we have lost." - Jane Elliott
DANCING WITH THE STARS Power Rankings, Week Two
#8 Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani
Maeve Quinlan: From Daytime to Online
After tending to the Los Angeles, fashion industry melodrama, as one of THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, for 11 years, during which she had an underage lover in Ken Park and later a lesbian daughter in SOUTH OF NOWHERE, Maeve Quinlan had an interesting realization: "There are not enough lesbian comedies out there."
For the Illinois native, teenage tennis star-turned USC acting minor-turned model-turned daytime soap star, this epiphany was motivated, in part, by an online message board. According to Quinlan, some user comments correlated her religious, gay-opposed character on The N network's GLAAD-award-winning, teenage drama series SOUTH OF NOWHERE with that of her personal life, and deemed Quinlan a real-time "homophobe." Though the actress notes receiving a lot of supportive myspace.com comments for her work on SOUTH...," the negative feedback was still hard for her to ignore.
"I was like, 'Oh my god!'" Quinlan gasps. "'Paula Carlin, my character, is [a homophobe]. I'm just an actor! Thank you for saying I'm doing a good job, but I'm the farthest thing from that'-—and I was actually really hurt." Quinlan continues, adding that if fans had a true understanding of her off-camera lifestyle, there could be no question as to her straight-—but in no way narrow—-status. "I was [formally] married to Tom Sizemore, first of all," she laughs, "and I'm living with two gay girls ... but then I thought, you know what? There's something in this."
That "something" would ultimately become Quinlan's "3WAY," an original show concept by Quinlan involving a straight woman immersed in lesbian culture. However, before Quinlan's concept could reach the development stages, she'd have to find the time (filming for soap operas is daily and year-round, and doesn't leave room for much of anything else) and, for producers to take her seriously, she'd have to overcome a bias in the entertainment industry that views soap ensemble members as limited and less-than actors.
 | SCRIPTS & SCRUPLES: Episode #862 Teri (Anne Sayre) informs Blake of her decision to stay in New York. At Channel 6, Sam receives an unexpected visit from attorney Garfield Merriweather (special guest star Tristan Rogers). Rogers is currently starring as Robert Scorpio on GENERAL HOSPITAL: NIGHT SHIFT.  |
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