Woo Hoo!

[1] As expected, not only is the so-called "controversial" Simpson episode far from offensive to Muslims, it has actually earned praise from CAIR.

"The Simpsons and Islam," by Ericka Andersen for [2] Nosh, January 12:

Are the Simpsons being anti-Muslim or are they fighting back against Islamaphobia? According to a Yahoo! news story, "In a forthcoming episode of the long-running show, dad Homer Simpson convinces friends that a Middle Eastern family is plotting to blow up a shopping mall."

A spokesperson for The Islamic Cultural Centre & The London Central Mosque said he hoped Muslims take "no notice of the show." That’s a more tame response than I expected, given the backlash from Islamic leaders on things like the Danish cartoons and any kind of negative attention toward the religion. But is the show really "anti-Muslim"? The Simpsons have been making fun of every kind of stereotype there is since their beginning. Christianity has often been the brunt of a joke.

In fact, the show is being viewed in a positive light according to CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations). An IBT article reports:

The letter [from CAIR] said Sunday’s episode "brought to light how Americans can work toward mutual respect and inclusion by getting to know their neighbors." It went on to state: "The episode also builds on the values that have made America the great nation it is - a nation in which citizenship is about finding common ground and building a better society. American Muslims have been doing just that by making daily contributions to our society that often go unrecognized."