Muslims worldwide are now observing Ramadan. After fasting all day, families gather after sunset for the traditional iftar meal, and often sit down to watch television together. It’s a time when Arab channels showcase their most popular programs.
In sharp contrast to too many other channels, the Saudi satellite network MBC has challenged old taboos with a surprisingly positive depiction of Jews. “Um Haroun” is a fictionalized recounting of a Bahraini-Jewish woman who played a significant role in developing Bahraini midwifery. The series is set in an unnamed Arabian Gulf town in the 1940s, and it shows how Jews, Christians and Muslims lived together as one community in relative harmony.
In the Middle East, which has lived with too much violence for far too long, peace is within reach and it could be starting with, of all things, a television show.
This article was originally published in print by Arab News. It has been translated into Arabic by Egypt Today.