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CAMPAIGN UPDATE FROM AASIF MANDVI:
I am incredibly grateful for the support Halal in the Family has received from people across the country and around the world. Thank you for helping us reach our initial goal!
We are now seeking additional funds to cover the costs of promoting and marketing Halal in the Family. It is critical that we reach beyond our community of allies to those Americans who only know Muslims from what they see on the news. We need your continued help to make sure the series reaches as wide an audience as possible!
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Hi, I’m Aasif Mandvi, an actor, writer, filmmaker, producer, and Senior Correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Through my work at The Daily Show I’ve covered way too many stories that reveal the depth of prejudice against Muslims in the United States. Maybe you’ve also noticed the prevalent bias and misinformation about Muslims in our country?
Unfavorable views of Islam and its followers are at an all time high. Did you know that only 27% of Americans have positive views of Muslims? We’re barely more popular than Congress! Too often the media and politicians only make things worse, feeding increased prejudice, discriminatory policies, and hate-filled rhetoric targeting American Muslims.
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Fortunately, many amazing organizations and individuals are
courageously combating anti-Muslim hate. But it’s not enough. It’s time to get
serious…ly funny.
For the past year I’ve been developing a new
web-series to challenge stereotypes and misinformation about Muslims and
communities associated with Muslims. It’s called Halal in the Family,
and it’s a sitcom parody about an all-American Muslim family. It's also a tool to support existing campaigns to combat anti-Muslim bias.
Halal
in the Family will expose a broad audience to some of
the realities of being Muslim in America. By using satire we will encourage
people to reconsider their assumptions about Muslims, while providing a balm to
those experiencing anti-Muslim bias. I also hope those Uncles and Aunties out there
will crack a smile!
So, what are the episodes about? Each
of the four episodes focus on a different challenge faced by American Muslims
and communities associated with Muslims. The themes, which were identified by
Muslim and civil rights organizations, include surveillance and
spying in Muslim communities; online bullying and hate networks; media bias;
and the use of anti-Muslim prejudice for political gain.
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I’m working with an all-star team to produce Halal
in the Family. Our partners include:
- Sweet 180, Halal in the Family Producer,
and award-winning production and management company
- Moore + Associates, Halal in the
Family Campaign Producer, and prominent communications firm with
expertise in producing humorous advocacy campaigns
- Miles Kahn, Halal in the Family Co-writer
and Director, and Senior Producer on The Daily Show
- Advisory Council of leading Muslim
rights and civil rights groups that advised on the episode themes and campaign
strategy. This project wouldn't be possible without a diversity of organizations including ACCESS / National Network for Arab American
Communities, Center for New Community, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), Auburn Seminary, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) and Shoulder to Shoulder.
The cast features Sakina Jaffrey with guest star appearances from Samantha Bee, Jordan
Klepper and Tariq (Black Thought) Trotter.
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I’m building a community of supporters to
combat Islamophobia. Will You Join Me?
The recent flare up of attacks on Muslims in the media made me
feel the urgency to create a web-series that provides a more accurate portrayal of
American Muslims. We need your support to reach people who have
little to no exposure to Muslims. Remember all the times you thought, “If only
people could SEE this, things might be a little different.” This is a chance to
do more than think it!
We’ve been raising money while simultaneously developing Halal
in the Family. Our Advisory Council, individual donors and foundation partners, including Unbound Philanthropy and the Pillars Fund, generously covered the costs to film the four episodes.
We need to raise at least $30,000 to
complete post-production and begin to cover the costs of promoting Halal in the Family. In order to reach a broad audience and
generate media interest we are producing a high quality web-series that looks
just as professional as any TV sitcom. Post-production costs include editing
the four episodes, color correction, sound and music licensing, and graphics. Promotional costs include a website, public relations and social media support.
Why Am I Crowdfunding?
In order to change the conversation about Muslims in American
media we need a diverse, unified movement of people who are willing to take a
stand against anti-Muslim bias. By fueling a portion of this project with
donations from across the country we will demonstrate that thousands of people
are fed up with the treatment of American Muslims.
Supporting Halal in the Family Means
You Want To:
● Create accurate portrayals of American Muslims in
the media
● Stand up to the organized network of hate that
spreads lies about American Muslims
● Be part of a movement that protects civil
rights
● Get some really cool perks, like a signed copy of
my new book, No Land’s Man - shameless plug :)
Thanks for showing us some love by helping us meet our funding
goal! Here are some other ways you can help us reverse the anti-Muslim
discourse in America:
1. SPREAD THE WORD: Share our Indiegogo page
on social media and help us reach our funding goal! Just
post this itty bitty little link bit.ly/halal-indiegogo on
Facebook, Twitter, etc.
2. FOLLOW ME ON: FACEBOOK (Halal in the Family) and TWITTER (@aasif) to get updates on Halal
in the Family.
Thank you for your support and partnership!
Aasif
