Zarqa Nawaz is a Canadian film and television creator and producer, as well as a published author, public speaker, journalist, and former broadcaster.
Early Life and Education
Zarqa Nawaz was raised in Toronto and attended Chinguacousy Secondary School. Nawaz had intended to pursue medical school after earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto. In 1992, she earned a second degree in journalism from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
She has worked for CBC Radio, CBC Newsworld, CBC Television’s The National, and CTV’s Canada AM, as well as being an associate producer for various CBC Radio programmes, including Morningside. Her radio documentary The Changing Rituals of Death, which aired in 1992, earned multiple awards at the Ontario Telefest Awards.
Transition to Filmmaking
After becoming “bored of journalism,” she enrolled in a summer film programme at the Ontario College of Art & Design and began working as a filmmaker, utilising comedy to explore the interactions between Muslims and their neighbours in modern North America. She describes the purpose of her production firm, FUNdamentalist Films, as “putting the ‘fun’ back into fundamentalism.”
Little Mosque on the Prairie
Nawaz told Prairie Dog Magazine in 2003 that her script Real Terrorists Don’t Bellydance was “inspired by films like True Lies and Executive Decision.” She refers to it as a “new genre of film,” a hybrid of a thriller and a comedy: “I call it a ‘terrordy.'” Her use of humour in the television series Little Mosque on the Prairie drew media attention from CNN and The Jerusalem Post to The Colbert Report even before it aired, prompting the CBC to air it months ahead of schedule.
International Recognition
Nawaz created the renowned CBC comedy series Little Mosque on the Prairie, the world’s first sitcom portraying a Muslim community living in the West, in 2007. Little Mosque on the Prairie debuted to the highest ratings in CBC history. The sitcom went on to win a Gemini Award and was nominated for Best Television Series – Comedy at the Directors Guild of Canada Awards in 2007. At the 2007 Roma Fiction Fest, Little Mosque won honours for Best International Television Series and Best Screenplay. It first aired in the United States on Hulu in 2012, and it is now available on Amazon Prime. “The genius of ‘Mosque’ is that the characters resonate with viewers all over the world,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
Nawaz sold comedy pilots to ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox Studios following the success of Little Mosque on the Prairie.
Nawaz’s Book: Laughing All the Way to the Mosque
Nawaz’s book, Laughing All the Way to the Mosque, was a Stephen Leacock Award shortlist nominee in 2015. The book was also nominated for a Kobo Emerging Writers Award, a Saskatchewan Book Award of the Year, and a Book Club Pick from Chatelaine magazine. “With a light touch and great humour,” observed Maclean’s magazine critic Joanne Latimer, “she pokes fun at Muslims and her Punjabi-Canadian clan.” The anecdotes portray a satirical portrayal of an immigrant daughter battling tradition, sexism, and the shalwar kameez.”
Writing and Broadcasting Career
From February to August 2012, Nawaz worked as an advice columnist for the Globe & Mail. In 2018, she hosted The Morning Edition, Saskatchewan’s CBC Radio’s morning show, and in 2019, she was the anchor of CBC Saskatchewan’s six o’clock news.
Honours and Recognitions
Nawaz was awarded a Doctor of Divinity by the University of Saskatchewan for her community interfaith work. In 2019, she was recognised in the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame for her contributions to the arts.
Stand-Up Comedy
Nawaz began performing stand-up in 2020 and co-founded Regina’s first Women and Non-Binary Open Mic, where she headlined on opening night at The Cure. Nawaz performed regularly at The Cure and monthly at The Exchange, The Fat Badger, the Creative City Centre, and The Social LOL in Regina, Saskatchewan, prior to the COVID-19 epidemic in March 2020.
Recent Projects
In 2021, CBC Television announced the production of Zarqa, a web series in which Nawaz plays a divorced Muslim lady reentering the dating scene. In May 2022, the series premiered on CBC Gem. Jameela Green Ruins Everything, Nawaz’s novel, was published as well in 2022 and was a Leacock Award nominee in 2023.
Personal Life
Zarqa Nawaz resides in Regina, Saskatchewan, with her four children.
Short Films
- BBQ Muslims (1995)
- Death Threat (1998)
- Random Check (2005)
- Fred’s Burqa (2005)
Screenplays
- Real Terrorists Don’t Bellydance (2003)
- Feature-Length Films
- Me and the Mosque (2005)
Television Series
- Little Mosque on the Prairie (2007-2012)
- Zarqa (2022–Present)