New 'CBS' sitcom slammed for misrepresenting Afghan character

'United States of Al' stars non-Afghan actor in titular role during a time when authentic representation is paramount

A new CBS sitcom has landed in hot waters for its representation of an Afghan character.

Created by David Goetsch and Maria Ferrari, Big Bang Theory producer Chuck Lorre's latest – the midseason series United States of Al – follows a friendship between Riley (Parker Young), a Marine combat veteran struggling to readjust to civilian life in Ohio, and Awalmir (Adhir Kalyan), the interpreter who served with his unit in Afghanistan and has just arrived to start a new life in America. Sounds harmless, right?

For many, there are some red flags. For one, a non-Afghan actor is playing the titular role in a time when authentic representation is paramount. It was a spark that started a substantial amount of backlash. The show initially drew ire when its official trailer debuted, according to The Hollywood Reporter.But one of the show's executive producers issued a staunch defense.

“You can’t judge a show by a 30 sec trailer. Well, you shouldn’t, at least,” Reza Aslan wrote in response to one tweet. In another he defended: “There are five Afghan characters in the show and four of them are played by Afghans. We saw 100 Afghan leads but sitcom is a specialized genre and it’s very tough to play. But we also have four Afghan writers/producers on the show who’ve done a great job helping Adhir.”

“Maybe learn a little about the show, its creators, its producers, its four Afghan writers, its plot, and pretty much everything else before you announce your opinion of it,” Aslan added.

But Qasim Rashid, a human rights lawyer accused the show of being offensive. The author and former candidate for Congress tweeted, "This is so ridiculous and offensive I don't have the words to express just how terribly bad this is on every conceivable level."

This is so ridiculous and offensive I don't have the words to express just how terribly bad this is on every conceivable level.

— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) March 20, 2021

Writer Rekha Shankar tweeted, "Can someone tell Chuck Lorre that 'what if a white person liked a brown person' is not a TV show concept."

can someone tell Chuck Lorre that “what if a white person liked a brown person” is not a tv show concept

— Rekha Shankar (@rekhalshankar) March 21, 2021

Palestinian documentary filmmaker Saeed Taji Farouky, who made Tell Spring Not to Come, wrote, "This is a real TV show, actually made by human people, on Planet Earth, In 2021!"

This is a real TV show. Actually made by human people. On Planet Earth. In 2021. Behold: pic.twitter.com/hm9jDRq95O

— Saeed Taji Farouky (@saeedtaji) March 19, 2021

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