Islam Banned From French TV Game Show
OVER in La Belle France: “The parents of a nine-year old French boy called Islam are to sue a television company for discrimination after it allegedly refused to let him participate in a game show unless he changed his name.”
Indeed:
Angel Productions told the boy that his name “represented a religion that was not liked in France,” according to the parents cited by Le Parisien newspaper.
Islam Alaouchiche had been shortlisted for a place in a youth game show called “In ze boite” (In the box) on Gulli, a children’s channel. But when he turned up for the final audition with his parents, who have Algerian nationality, they were told by a casting agent: “There’s a problem, your son cannot keep his first name. Being called Islam if you are a boy is like a girl wearing the (Islamic) veil.” The woman suggested Islam use “another Arab name” such as Mohammed or Sofiane. But his mother Farah refused.
Posted: 23rd, April 2008 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
