Season 1
8 episodes
23 min. per episode
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A determined imam navigates cultural clashes, sparking unexpected friendships and revealing hidden truths in a small Canadian town.
Episodes
Yasir has rented space in the local church under the guise of using it as an office for his construction business, but really is using it as an Islamic mosque for the local Muslim community in addition. This act coincides with the arrival from Toronto of Amaar, who Yasir hired as the new Imam to replace Baber, deemed too orthodox in his views. Amaar's arrival also coincides with the start of Ramadan, a celebration on which there is much community dissent both concerning how to calculate when it begins, and what food should be served after the fast: Fatima wants a traditional goat feast, whereas Sarah, going back to her western roots, wants a lighter meal of cucumber sandwiches. But bigger problems ensue when Reverend Magee and the town finds out about the mosque. Amaar, the new spokesperson for the Islamic faith in Mercy, isn't very proficient in his public relations attempt, in part due to his Toronto background, and makes matters worse after appearing on Fred's radio show. Perhaps Amaar isn't cut out to be an Imam, and he contemplates heading back to Toronto, that is if he can get a one-way ticket back after his supposed terrorist remark on his flight from Toronto. But all is well for Amaar in Mercy when Reverend Magee supports the mosque, just as long the Muslim community is on the up and up with him about their goings-on in the church. Realistically, Reverend Magee does exactly the opposite of Fred's editorials.
Baber is facing a battle of the generations and a battle of the sexes. His daughter Layla, participating in a fund-raising run, is irking her dad with her choice of running attire. She also experiences her first period, which she hides from Baber since that transition into womanhood means that she must now wear a shawl over her head. Rather than face the battle with her right now, he decides to wait until at least next month. At the mosque, his battle of the sexes concerns his want to erect a barrier between the men and women prayer areas. The feminist Rayyan thinks this medieval thinking. Fred even comes to the rally cry for the women of Mercy. However, the situation is not that cut and dry as traditional Muslim Fatima wants the barrier. Finally, Amaar as the Imam, makes his decision: half the mosque will have the barrier, half the mosque will not, so that each person can make up his and her own mind where he/she wants to pray. No one is happy, but as Amaar says, unhappiness is the Muslim way.
To reach out to the non-Muslim residents of Mercy, Amaar wants the mosque to hold an open house. First he needs Yasir, through one of his electrician subcontractors, to fix the problem wiring in the mosque. Businessman Yasir doesn't have the time to participate since it's his busy season, but changes his tune once he learns he can hand out business cards at the open house. Trying to cut corners, non-electrician Yasir decides to fix the wiring himself. The mayor loves the idea of the open house, especially since she sees it as a good photo op and can push her tax plan to the attendees. The open house looks to be moving forward and well attended if only because Fatima is catering and despite Fred's anti-Muslim rantings on his radio show. However Fatima, Rayyan and Baber threaten to boycott the event unless each is allowed to make presentations, to which Amaar ultimately but reluctantly agrees. The big event arrives and everything seems to be going smoothly, that is until Yasir's wiring repair job short-circuits and causes a small smoke fire which brings in the fire department and ruins the open house. It's just another bump in the road for the Mercy Mosque.
Fatima and Rayyan are on a crusade to get a female lifeguard at the pool. Rayyan has suggested to Fatima, who has sprained her knee, that taking the women's aquafit class would help recovery, but as Muslims they cannot appear in their bathing suits in front men. They feel they can't take the class as the lifeguard/aquafit instructor is male Johnny, despite the fact that Johnny is gay and has no interest in Fatima, Rayyan or any woman. The mayor agrees to hire a female lifeguard/aquafit instructor if they can find the money in the city's budget and if Rayyan and Fatima can get 150 signatures on a petition. As Rayyan and Fatima proceed on their mission, Sarah tries to thwart her daughter's task as the money in the budget is coming from a business trip she has planned to China. As such, she tricks Fred into supporting her view, Fred who causes a media maelstrom around the issue of kowtowing to the Muslim community. Rayyan finds out and is angry with her mother. Ultimately, the pool pump breaks and both Sarah's trip to China and the female lifeguard are nixed in order to fix the pump. That means that Fatima will just have to cover up to attend Johnny's aquafit class. Meanwhile, it's Halloween and Fatima's son, Jamal, and Baber's daughter, Layla, want to partake in the western ritual. Fatima allows Jamal to but Baber thinks it's an evil practice. Amaar, wanting to support the youth, allows them to partake under the guise of calling it Halaloween, and they must dress up as items from the Koran. Jamal and Layla's costumes as a fig and olive don't go over well in general, but their escort Baber, wearing his own clothes, becomes the hit of Halloween dressed as "the terrorist".
The mosque gains a new convert, a young man who turns out to be an obnoxious religious hardliner who tries even Baber's patience.
A satirical view at a Muslim community living in Mercy, Saskatchewan, Canada.