Zarqa Nawaz (Born 1968 in Liverpool, England) is a British-Canadian Muslim woman of South Asian origin, raised in the Toronto area and attended Chinguacousy Secondary School. She is a freelance writer, journalist, broadcaster, and filmmaker living in Regina, Saskatchewan. Initially, Zarqa planned to go to medical school. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree from Univerisy of Toronto. She completed a second degree in journalism at Ryerson University in 1992. She worked with CBC Radio, CBC Newsworld, CBC Television's The National, and CTV's Canada AM, and was an associate producer of several CBC Radio programs including Morningside. Her 1992 radio documentary The Changing Rituals of Death won multiple awards at the Ontario Telefest Awards. Stating that she became "bored of journalism", she took a summer film workshop at the Ontario College of Art & Design and began working as a filmmaker, using comedy to explore the relationships between Muslims and their neighbours in contemporary North America. She has described the goal of her production company, FUNdamentalist Films, as "putting the 'fun' back into fundamentalism".

In an interview with Prairie Dog Magazine, Nawaz said her screenplay Real Terrorists Don't Bellydance was "inspired by movies like True Lies and Executive Decision". She describes it as a "new genre of film", a cross between a terrorist flick and a comedy: "I call it a 'terrordy.'" ^[1] Her use of humour in the television series Little Mosque on the Prairie attracted media attention ranging from CNN and The Jerusalem Post to The Colbert Report even before it aired, prompting the CBC to broadcast it months ahead of its original schedule.

Zarqa Nawaz has portrayed herself as trying to break stereotypes within the Western Media.

As depicted in her documentary "Me and the Mosque". Zarqa interviews her own mother who is affiliated with numerous religious groups.

The original story line for Zarqa'a CBC show "Little Mosque on the Prairie" was the idea of her family members. The characters are based on people Nawaz knew personally. "Little Mosque on the Prairie" was named after Zarqa'a obsession with the show of the 80's "Little House on the Prairie".

Zarqa Nawaz is the mother of four children.

[edit] Short films

• BBQ Muslims (1995) - Two Muslim brothers are accused of terrorism after their barbecue explodes in their backyard.
• Death Threat (1998) - A young Muslim novelist claims to have received a death threat in order to get her book published.
• Random Check (2005) - A young man, late for his wedding, turns to the media after being arrested at the airport as the result of racial profiling.
• Fred's Burqa (2005) - A stolen burqa leads to mistaken identity, a career change and true love.

[edit] Screenplays

• Real Terrorists Don't Bellydance (2003) - a struggling actor inadvertently takes a role as a stereotypical Muslim terrorist, to his fiancée’s chagrin

[edit] Feature-length films

• Me and the Mosque (2005) - documentary about the role of women in Islam, both throughout history and in contemporary Canada, told from a personal perspective.^[2]

[edit] Television series (writer)

• Little Mosque on the Prairie (2007 – present) - comedy about relations between Muslims and non-Muslims living in a small Saskatchewan town

[edit] See also

• List of Pakistani journalists

[edit] References

1. ^ AlterNet: Movie Mix: My Big Fat Muslim Movie
2. ^ NFB - Collection - Me and the Mosque

[edit] External links

• FUNdamentalist Films website
• CBC Interview
• „Little Mosque on the Prairie“, Allah is Great – and Funny, taz 2007
• Artist profile from Video Pool
• Gill Deacon Show: Little Mosque on the Prairie, Zarqa Nawaz, the creator of the new Muslim sitcom „Little Mosque on the Prairie“ talks about her inspiration for the show.
• Muslim Public Affairs Council Banquet with Zarqa Nawaz
• Zarqa Nawaz at the Internet Movie Database
• Famous Canadian Immigrant Filmmakers