The families of TLC’s “All-American Muslim” grapple with a tough call on this Sunday’s episode — how to deal with the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
Since premiering last month, the series has tracked the everyday lives of the Amens, Aoudes, Bazzy-Aliahmads, Jaafars and Zabans, Lebanese-American Muslims living in Dearborn, Mich. (the country’s largest Muslim community).
The point is to show that they’re no different than anyone else — so the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is a sensitive subject to the families, well-aware of anti-Muslim sentiment that’s festered since the attacks.
“I don’t intend go to [to the local 9/11 commemoration] and show the world my feelings again — I don’t know why I have to keep apologizing,” says Shadia Amen — sentiments echoed by her brother, Bilal. “I don’t know how much more we are supposed to do,” he says.
“Those terrorists attacked Americans and hijacked our religion as Muslims,” says his mother, Suehaila Amen.
The show made headlines recently when Lowe’s pulled all its ads from the show after getting flack from a Florida evangelical group.
“All-American Muslim” airs Sunday at 10 p.m.