Hawzah News Agency (London, UK) - Muslims Like Us, the two-part BBC documentary billed as ‘Muslim Big Brother’, aired its first episode on Monday night, December 12, triggering criticism from Muslims who felt that the show undermined their faith by reducing it to a ‘reality show’.

‏@AbdillahiShuib wasn’t impressed by the provocative nature of the show, writing: “The BBC literally hired all the most controversial Muslims and made them fight in a house. How is that showing people Islam?”

@Tahxminax raged: “How is #MuslimsLikeUs considered okay!? My religion isn’t something for you to watch on a Monday night for bants.”

Filmed over nine days, the BBC describes it as a “social experiment” looking at the diversity of the Muslim experience in Britain.

Some viewers criticized the inclusion of Abdul-Haqq, a former British boxing champion Anthony Small, who holds controversial views, saying the BBC suggests that 1 in 10 Muslims hold such views, while research from Pew shows that 0.006625% of the Muslim world ascribe to such unpleasant views.

“Now make a program with 10 good working and practicing Muslims not the bunch of Muslims who don’t know much of their religion #MuslimsLikeUs,” one wrote.

“Why is the focus on Abdul Haq ,wasn’t this show supposed to show how the non stereotypical Muslims live #MuslimsLikeUs,” another added.

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