NEW YORK - The prestigious Rodenberry Impact Award has been won by MUSLIM GIRLS DTF : DISCUSS THEIR FAITH, a provocative new comedic series that looks at preconceived notions people have about Muslim women.
It is a new TV series to create an all female American-Muslim writers room
The Muslim Girls creators are two rising stars, Aizzah Fatima and Atheer Yacoub who first met on twitter in 2018 before teaming up to make the series. It all started with a tweet that led to a larger conversation with NYC based female comics and comedy writers about all the ways the media talks about Muslim womanhood—without ever involving actual Muslim women in the conversation!
The creators will now put together an all female diverse American-Muslim writers room allowing Muslim women to share their narrative with audiences.
“We wanted to create an platform that showcases our diverse experiences, using a comedic approach, as American-Muslim women” Aizzah Fatima said. “We wanted to show that we are not a monolith in thought and practice, and come in various shapes, sizes, and colors.”
Aizzah Fatima is an award winning screenwriter, playwright, and actor. Her hit one woman comedy play Dirty Paki Lingerie has toured in the US, Pakistan, Turkemnistan, Italy, Canada, and 15 cities in the UK. The Wall Street Journal called it the play that “Breaks Down Stereotypes of Muslim Women in America” and critics called it a “must-see” production. She is currently in post production on her first feature film based on characters from Dirty Paki Lingerie, and has appeared on TV shows such as High Maintenance (HBO), The Code (CBS), and The Good Wife (CBS). Atheer Yacoub is a stand-up comedian, writer, and podcaster (The No Fly List). She released a half hour special on Comedy Central Arabia in March 2019. She has also appeared on Gotham Comedy Live, and tours domestically and internationally.
The Roddenberry Impact Award in partnership with A Day of Unreasonable Conversation is granted to ten ideas and projects that are making strides in one of the following areas: Inclusive Futures, Authentic Content Creation, and Increased Representation.
