EastEnders: Muslim character to have gay love affair

You —

ok people, time to warm up them lets-get-offended mittens. Or simply not watch EastEnders. That has worked well for me.

I probably should not be publicising this as to me it seems that is what the writeres want - get their viewership figures up.

Muslim property developer to share on-screen kiss with gay caterer in 'traditional love affair with a modern multicultural twist'

EastEnders is to tackle one of the last taboos left in soap, with a storyline featuring a Muslim character embarking on a gay love affair.

MediaGuardian.co.uk can reveal that the plot, which will hit screens in mid-June, will see Syed Masood, a Muslim property developer with a girlfriend who arrived in Albert Square six weeks ago, fall for openly gay Christian Clarke. The pair will share an on-screen kiss.

The BBC has billed the storyline as a "traditional love affair, albeit with a modern multicultural twist".

The BBC1 soap's production team researched the plot, which is bound to prove controversial with some viewers, contacting academics, gay Muslim support groups and members of the Muslim Council of Great Britain...

Read more @ The Guardian

Forum

Suhail (not verified) — Fri, 29 May 2009 - 01:04

Yeah i read about this earlier today was gonna make topic but just never felt right , i mean the writers are doin this on purpose to make musllims look bad ,

and some retard in the article on bbc said u can be gay and muslim aswel and im thinkin are you off your nut or something RETARD< i think i can use abuse in tthis case lol

Its just what they wana do to portray us like hypocrits and stuff

You — Fri, 29 May 2009 - 02:51

[quote=St786]...i mean the writers are doin this on purpose to make musllims look bad...[/quote]

Disagree with that. THey are doing it because they expect people to be interested, to cause a commotion. Controversy means more people will watch, and that is what the business is about - getting more eyes glued to the show.

I played right into their marketing hands.

RI_RS — Fri, 29 May 2009 - 22:47

Big deal :roll:

Jeez. People want to be accepted and treated the same and then demand special rights...

'Muslims' aren't a different species, they're humans.

In some Christian denominations, homosexuality is forbidden, but they don't kick up a fuss and get all offended because Christians and CHRISTIANITY are different things

as are Muslims and Islam...

Some people who call themselves Muslims ARE Gay. Face it and stick the dummy back in

You — Fri, 29 May 2009 - 22:55

Apparently there will be a debate on this at 11.15pm tonight on 5 Live featuring people from MPAC. I wonder what they will say.

PS there are many christians that take offence. However there are also other Christians who see Christianity as a social club where its ok to bend/break the rules as long as more people are accepted into the fold.

You just have to look at all the parishes/leaderships that have refused to debate homosexual priests. Can't be a priest if you are having relations outside wedlock - unless you're gay and then its ok apparently.

(Catholic position of not allowing wedlock for priests is also ludicrous.)

RI_RS — Fri, 29 May 2009 - 23:05

[quote=You]Apparently there will be a debate on this at 11.15pm tonight on 5 Live featuring people from MPAC. I wonder what they will say.

PS there are many christians that take offence. However there are also other Christians who see Christianity as a social club where its ok to bend/break the rules as long as more people are accepted into the fold.

You just have to look at all the parishes/leaderships that have refused to debate homosexual priests. Can't be a priest if you are having relations outside wedlock - unless you're gay and then its ok apparently.

(Catholic position of not allowing wedlock for priests is also ludicrous.)[/quote]

See what i mean? a DEBATE about it...

Why do people complain about getting too much attention when they bring so much of it on themselves by blowing things out of proportion so much? it's just a soap :roll: just want to be wrapped in cotton wool...

Yeah well maybe Christians DON'T like it but they don't have big debates or go mad about it do they? and they're blatantly a minority. And it's different... England was/is a 'Christian country'... it doesn't matter how much attention is drawn to them, people will always generally see Christianity as mild and a 'religion of love'.... Islam doesn't NEED the bad publicity.

Seraphim — Fri, 29 May 2009 - 23:20

(sigh)

Im tired so ill keep this brief, 2 things:

1. Sounds like they're just doing this to get a reaction out of people and get more people interested and talking about Eastenders (wat YOU said).

2. Gay Muslims... it happens, thats a reality. Ignoring it wont make it go away. Theyr just putting it in the limelight.

But i hav no immediate plans to ever watch this show. It no longer interests me.

You — Fri, 29 May 2009 - 23:22

publicity is over rated.

Besides, we are all doing East Enders a favour. Its crap, but by getting under some people's skin, they will win extra viewers.

(Christians do have big debates, but they are not able to agree, so the leadership when trying to put forward a united front push the debates to different occasions. On the otehr hand, Muslims do agree that it is sinful, so there is no need to push things away in the same way.)

Ya'qub — Sat, 30 May 2009 - 01:45

[quote=MakeMeRawr_6TeenF]Big deal :roll:

Jeez. People want to be accepted and treated the same and then demand special rights...

'Muslims' aren't a different species, they're humans.

In some Christian denominations, homosexuality is forbidden, but they don't kick up a fuss and get all offended because Christians and CHRISTIANITY are different things

as are Muslims and Islam...

Some people who call themselves Muslims ARE Gay. Face it and stick the dummy back in [/quote]

Err... the whole Anglican church is splitting over homosexuality at the moment. It's quite a big deal.

RI_RS — Sat, 30 May 2009 - 02:09

[quote=Ya'qub][quote=MakeMeRawr_6TeenF]Big deal :roll:

Jeez. People want to be accepted and treated the same and then demand special rights...

'Muslims' aren't a different species, they're humans.

In some Christian denominations, homosexuality is forbidden, but they don't kick up a fuss and get all offended because Christians and CHRISTIANITY are different things

as are Muslims and Islam...

Some people who call themselves Muslims ARE Gay. Face it and stick the dummy back in [/quote]

Err... the whole Anglican church is splitting over homosexuality at the moment. It's quite a big deal.[/quote]

Pfft.

You — Sun, 31 May 2009 - 21:20

A gay Muslim in EastEnders? Big deal

An EastEnders storyline featuring a gay Muslim character is unlikely to shake the community, despite what some are predicting

When I first read that the BBC soap opera EastEnders was gearing up for a storyline involving a Muslim man locking lips with a gay character my first reaction was, who watches EastEnders anymore anyway and well, how about that for a sensationalist stunt to win a tired old soap some headlines while sending the rightwing tabloids into a frenzy at the gay-Muslim spectacle.

And I could almost anticipate the ensuing chatter, likely to lament the over-exposure of Muslims who are either being pandered to by the PC brigade or displaying hot-headed overreaction at the slightest provocation.

So far so predictable. Or is it? News of the plot comes just weeks after a Gallup survey was widely reported as revealing that British Muslims have a 0% approval rating of gay lifestyles. It would be unwise to jump to conclusions based on this figure. The truth is that while the issue of homosexuality in Islam is one that preoccupies many non-Muslims, it is not a defining aspects of belief for the majority of Muslims. In simple terms, for the average Muslim going about his or her business, it is hardly a primary concern what strangers get up to between the sheets...

Read more @ The Guardian's CIF

Interesting to find that 0% approval rating for homosexual lifestyles. Pretty unanimous it seems (even though it is being thought of as inaccurate).

Hajjar — Sun, 31 May 2009 - 21:45

don't watch it doesn't bother me. Apparently they are considered to be greater than coronation st, win all the awards. So why are they acting so desperate with this storyline. Desperate to stay on top i guess, they want the ratings nothing else. i doubt it's a bid to get muslims angry. There are other ways to get muslims angry, easier ways.

The Lamp — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 - 09:50

[quote=St786]

and some retard in the article on bbc said u can be gay and muslim aswel and im thinkin are you off your nut or something RETARD< i think i can use abuse in tthis case lol

Its just what they wana do to portray us like hypocrits and stuff[/quote]

I don't think is=f someone is gay they can't be Muslim, that's not our call, we all do stuff that we shouldn't but that doesn't automatically make us non-Muslim.

Suhail (not verified) — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 - 10:20

Homosexuality is totally prohibited in islam...yh i guess your write as people we dont have right to call someone else a non muslim but if your gay and think your also muslim....clearly something is wrong ...hmm wonder what islam says at about punishing gays.....guess would lay it out clearly .the worse the crime the higher the punishment

1R4M — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 - 13:17

This is quite dumb
you'd think, being in ur mid 20s, youd have figured out already if u were gay or not
I dont see why muslims have to get offended though, jus cos the actors playing a muslim a muslim who then has to have a gay affair
it might be done just to get a reaction
or not
who knows

if u dont wanna watch it then dont

I bet when the storyline happens some morons will start protesting on the streets and embarrass us all

You — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 - 13:30

[quote=The Lamp]I don't think if someone is gay they can't be Muslim, that's not our call, we all do stuff that we shouldn't but that doesn't automatically make us non-Muslim.[/quote]

There is a difference between action and belief.

If you do something wrong, that is a sin. If you believe something wrong, that is potentially disbelief.

"potentially" as believing that person x is stronger than you is not a matter of faith.

However accepting the Qur'an in its entirety is a matter of faith and if you believe homosexuality is allowed, the majority/unanimous decision is that that is disagreeing with the qur'an, calling it wrong and inaccurate. That is kufr and you/the people are saying that God is not infallible.

You — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 - 13:31

[quote=1R4M]I bet when the storyline happens some morons will start protesting on the streets and embarrass us all[/quote]

Their free and democratic right to do so. Its IMO more embarrassing to think that people standing up for what they believe is embarrassing. Let those that may want to do that go their own way.

Ya'qub — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 - 13:48

I've got a friend who s Muslim and gay, all at the same time!

His view is that ALL sex outside marriage is forbidden, and you are not allowed to marry another man.

So.... potentially if he did 'act' on his gayness, he would be committing a sin - but there are PLENTY of Muslims who go around having sex outside marriage, I would never say that they suddenly become 'non-Muslim' (I know there is a hadith about that, but it says as soon as they finish, they enter the fold of Islam again).

Suhail (not verified) — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 - 18:14

being gay and having sex outside marriage are two different things.

point being that if your gay but you don't act upon that gayness the fact of the matter is that you still bilieve yourself to be gay....which goes against islam and is a major sin as homosexuality is 'prohibited' , so theres no 'if' or 'buts' about it...

basically haram is haram dont try to reason with it and dont give into your desires when you clearly no its wrong.

Ya'qub — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 - 22:26

[quote=St786]being gay and having sex outside marriage are two different things.

point being that if your gay but you don't act upon that gayness the fact of the matter is that you still bilieve yourself to be gay....which goes against islam and is a major sin as homosexuality is 'prohibited' , so theres no 'if' or 'buts' about it...

basically haram is haram dont try to reason with it and dont give into your desires when you clearly no its wrong.[/quote]

That doesn't make any sense.
And even if it did, it would be incorrect.

In Islam, if you have an intention to commit a sin and then you decide not to, then you DON'T get punished for it! In fact, you get a reward. Did you know that?
Also, if you have the intention to do a good deed and then later you can't be bothered and don't do it, you DON'T get punished either. In fact you get a reward for it too!
And if you have the intention to do a good deed and then you ACTUALLY go through with it, you get 10 rewards!

You are being ridiculous. you KNOW it's haraam to have sex with someone you're not married to, right? Does that stop you wanting to bang Beyonce? I doubt it. Fear of God (amongst other reasons) might stop you from ACTUALLY hooking up with her, but it's not going to stop you WANTING it.

That is why it's a test. If being Muslim suddenly meant we didn't WANT to commit sins, then it wouldn't be a test. Now, if someone is gay, and they also believe in Islam, then it is THEIR test not to act on their desires.

And it's OUR test to not hate them.

You — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 - 22:21

[quote=Ya'qub]You are being ridiculous. you KNOW it's haraam to have sex with someone you're not married to, right? Does that stop you wanting to bang Beyonce? I doubt it. Fear of God (amongst other reasons) might stop you from ACTUALLY hooking up with her, but it's not going to stop you WANTING it.[/quote]

If on the other hand you decide that Islam does not discourage it, or that Islam is wrong to discourage it, then you may leave the fold of Islam (just being cautious as, well, IANAS - I am not a scholar).

When it comes to faith, the issue is not one of what you do, but what you think and why you think it.

Homosexual acts do not make a person lose faith. Believing there is nothing wrong in committing them is what does (which is where Ya'qub's friend is on the right side. He has urges, he avoids them. Hence, Good Muslim).

And it's OUR test to to hate them.

I assume you mean "not to".

Amal — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 - 23:34

Why does this story-line not surprise me. This story line has been concocted to cause oh so controversy and drama because of his being a "Muslim". Well done, how original. That deserves one clap for the entire Eastender plot writers. :roll:

This story only reinforces the image and stereotype of a deeply conservative and horrible, disengaged Muslim family, whose family and friends will no doubt be outraged and ostracise. Any guesses for will happen next?? Muslim guy will be seen as the hero who seeks freedom from the cage that his family is, and eventually survives. Genius story line.

It is an amplified story and tried and tested method reel in viewers. I am sure the Director General of the BBC will be pleased.

Pardon my sarcasm.