“Wife Swap continues with the Ahmed family, a strict Pakistani Muslim family who pray five times a day and choose to wear the hijab. The backbone of their family philosophy is based on Islamic principles and their three teenage children are well-mannered, work hard and are very respectful of their parent’s wishes. Supermum Nuzhat works full time, studies, manages all the cooking and household chores, and keeps a keen eye on what her children are doing. Deborah Escott works as an admin director for a theatre company and is the sole breadwinner in her liberal family. Husband Andy is a musician and house husband who looks after their three-year-old daughter Emily and 16-year-old Becky, Debs’s daughter from a previous relationship. Becky has recently come out as a lesbian. Will these two very different mums ever see eye to eye? How will husband Shakil react when Deborah arranges for his two teenage daughters to attend a live music gig and how does Nuzhat deal with a rebellious teenage daughter whose sexuality is a direct challenge to her religious beliefs?
Despite real differnces in opinion about gender roles, sexuality, freedoms and cleanliness the participants demonstrated a certain willingness to accomodate each other (for example Mr Ahmed allowed Mrs Escott to drink wine in his house and was persuaded to allow his daughters to go to a rock concert), to see each other as humans worthy of respect, despite fundamental differences, and even learned from each other.
Hat tip: Unrealitytv.co.uk
RSS feed for Newsblog
3 responses so far ↓
atheistperspective // June 13, 2007 at 7:56 pm |
That was a fantastic show. I saw it a while ago. It really gave an interesting insight into Muslim life and views on family. I find that Muslims are all too often misunderstood in the UK. I disagree with the religion, I think, as with all religion, Islam is damaging to society but at least the program portrayed Muslims as they are, not gun toting war crazed idiots. We rarely get a glimpse of ‘normal’ Muslims, all too often we see the MCB spouting nonsense or some Imam muslim on the news inciting hate so this was a nice change.
Saying that, I’m sounding a little too liberal here
I found their views on homosexuality disturbing and as with most Muslim women, I cringed at the way she cowered in the face of her religion.
Pakistani // October 31, 2007 at 12:10 pm |
also shows the freedome in Pakistan……..
anonomous // September 30, 2008 at 7:43 am |
nuzhat didnt learn anything in the nine days. i know this for a fact.
she just made herself and her husband look like ridiculously strict people.
her daughters are open minded and disagreed with a lot there mother said.