--- title: #NotYourStockMuslim and Alice in Arabia: More on the Controversy description: The drama-series pilot was nixed after it caused an uproar — and there are some good reasons why canonical: https://time.com/35647/alice-in-arabia-canceled/ author: Lily Rothman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-03-24T21:41:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T06:55:48.957Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: #NotYourStockMuslim and Alice in Arabia: More on the Controversy og:description: The drama-series pilot was nixed after it caused an uproar — and there are some good reasons why og:url: https://time.com/35647/alice-in-arabia-canceled/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: #NotYourStockMuslim and Alice in Arabia: More on the Controversy twitter:description: The drama-series pilot was nixed after it caused an uproar — and there are some good reasons why twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # 5 Reasons a TV Show About an American Girl in Saudi Arabia Pissed People Off > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account.  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Mar 24, 2014 9:41 PM UTC  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Mar 24, 2014 9:41 PM UTC Over the weekend, when ABC Family [announced they would not move forward](http://time.com/34539/abc-family-cancels-alice-in-arabia-pilot/) with the pilot for _Alice in Arabia_, many of those watching the show’s development [breathed a sigh of relief.](http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Good-News--CAIR-Welcomes-ABC-Family-s--Cancellation-of--Alice-in-Arabia-.html?soid=1101295800375&aid=laIkAaUOqdc) The drama told the story of a mixed-race American teen kidnapped by her Saudi Arabian extended family, and was written by a U.S. Army veteran — and, as a spokesperson told [_The Hollywood Reporter_](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/abc-family-scraps-alice-arabia-690400), the “conversation surrounding \[the\] pilot was not what \[they\] had envisioned.” If that conversation was enough to get the pilot canceled, what _exactly_ were people saying? **That the pilot got things wrong:** BuzzFeed was instrumental in drumming up awareness of _Alice in Arabia_, largely by procuring [a copy of the pilot script](http://www.buzzfeed.com/regajha/we-got-a-copy-of-the-script-for-alice-in-arabia-and-its-exac) and noting inaccuracies throughout, such as what seemed to be confusion over the difference between an abaya and a burqa. This was particularly noteworthy given that [the show’s blurb](http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2014/03/abcs-alice-arabia-shelved-after-internet-points-out-what-horrible-idea-it/359444/) focused Alice “surviving life behind the veil.” **That the show relied on stereotypes:** As [reported by Al Jazeera America](http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/3/20/civil-rights-groupsabcseriesaliceinarabiapromotesbigotry.html), the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee issued a statement saying that the idea that a Saudi Arabian family would kidnap an American relative and oppress her “perpetuates demeaning stereotypes.” On her blog, [the writer Aisha Saeed](http://www.aishasaeed.com/), who participated in getting a Twitter conversation about the show, noted that there’s a way to talk about cultural issues without resorting to stereotypes, but that “nuance and complexity” are necessary to make it work — and that, without that nuance, portrayals can be “frightening” to those depicted. **That the title makes an offensive analogy:** Also at BuzzFeed, [Ayesha Siddiqi noted](http://www.buzzfeed.com/aasiddiqi/alice-is-in-arabia-and-the-rest-of-us-hold-our-breath) that the show’s title draws a parallel between topsy-turvy Wonderland and the actual nation of Saudi Arabia — which didn’t exactly inspire confidence that the show’s depiction of the world in which it was to be set would be realistic. **That, if it got picked up, it might lead to bullying:** The [Council on American-Islamic Relations](http://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/12415-cair-asks-abc-family-channel-for-meeting-on-alice-in-arabia-stereotypes.html) published a statement warning ABC Family that such a portrayal of Saudi Arabians on a channel like theirs might “lead to things like bullying of Muslim students” by viewers. **That the show didn’t give those portrayed control over their own stories:** As [Rabia Chaudry wrote for TIME](http://time.com/30851/abc-alice-in-arabia-is-racist/), focusing on stereotypes and extremists drowns out “more normative voices from Muslims.” Many of those who were upset about the show expressed a desire for more stories about Muslim people to be written by those who actually practice the religion and can more easily capture a more nuanced sense of the topic. As [a _Guardian_ column](http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/mar/20/abcs-alice-in-arabia-could-break-the-mold-but-dont-hold-your-breath) on the topic elaborated, even though the show’s writer says that she spent many years immersed in the culture and that the show would “give Arabs and Muslims a voice on American TV,” the idea of _giving_ a voice grates on those who say they already _have_ a voice — but aren’t being heard. Though the pilot is kaput, that conversation isn’t over. Today, on Twitter, the hashtag [#NotYourStockMuslim](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NotYourStockMuslim&src=hash) popped up — participants were using it to express the ways in which they’re different from stereotypical Muslims. 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