TLC Sheds Light On Dearborn Muslims

Dearborn, Michigan was established as Dearbornville in 1836.  It's named after Henry Dearborn, who was a General in the American Revolution and Secretary of War under President Jefferson.  For many years Dearborn has been renown as the home of Henry Ford and his inspiration, the Ford Motor Company.  Today the city proudly hosts The Henry Ford, an institution dedicated to American history. 

Since 2005, Dearborn also is home to the Arab American National Museum, the first museum in the world devoted to Arab American history and culture.  The city's population includes 30,000 Arab Americans. It has the largest proportion of Arab Americans for a city of its size (about 100,000).  Arguably, Dearborn has one of the largest Arab populations outside the Middle East.

So Detroit, with all its diversity, is home for a large population of Middle Easterners many of whom are Muslim.  I would venture to say that to most of Detroit's non-Muslim population these folks are an enigma.  We really know very little about their culture beyond what we see in the media;  outside of their cuisine of course, which we all enjoy across the city.

Well, the media is about to open a window and give us all a glimpse of Muslim life in Detroit, specifically Dearborn.  Mike Mosallam, director of film initiatives for Wayne County, had an idea for a reality TV show about Dearborn's Muslims.  The Free Press writes that The Learning Channel picked up on it and has been producing a show.

Trying to shed light on a community that residents say is often misportrayed, a cable TV station is filming a reality show on the lives of Muslim Americans in Dearborn. It will premiere in November.

 Crews with TLC have been filming in recent weeks in metro Detroit as they follow the lives of about five Muslim-American families and their friends. Called "All-American Muslim," the series will be on the same channel that has done reality shows on Sarah Palin and Kate Gosselin.

Sounds like worthwhile viewing.