On TV, an Everyday Muslim as Everyday American

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/09/us/in-a-commercial-a-tacit-acceptance-of-islam-in-america.html?_r=0


Mujahid Abdul-Rashid, a Muslim from the Bay Area, appears as himself in a commercial for retirement financial products.

By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN
Published: February 8, 2013

On a Sunday afternoon several months ago, I was engaged in one of my favorite religious rituals, watching pro football on television. During a break in the game, I reflexively clicked the “mute” button on the remote control. But my eyes stayed fixed on a startling commercial.

The screen showed a balding man with tawny skin and a salt-and-pepper goatee, and seconds later it spelled out his name: Mujahid Abdul-Rashid. The advertisement went on to show him fishing, playing in a yard with two toddlers, and sitting down to a family meal.

One week later, again during an N.F.L. game, the same commercial appeared. This time I listened to the words. The advertisement was for Prudential’s financial products for retirees. Mr. Abdul-Rashid was talking about his own retirement after 19 years as a clothing salesman, and the family time he now intended to enjoy.

“That’s my world,” he said over that closing shot of the family dinner.

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