Nation of Islam minister disrupts ‘Noah’s Arc’ shooting

[Quetzal]

Nation of Islam minister disrupts ‘Noah’s Arc’ shooting

Production for the groundbreaking television series “Noah’s Arc” was temporarily shut down Aug. 5 due to protests led by a Nation of Islam minister, but it is unclear if the protests had anything to do with the show’s gay content.

“Noah’s Arc,” which focuses on four black gay men living in Los Angeles, is scheduled to begin airing on Logo in mid-October. More than 150 people descended on the show’s set during filming in South Central Los Angeles after Tony Muhammad, western regional director for the Nation of Islam, allegedly complained that the production crew did not include enough African Americans, according to several Internet blogs from people involved in the incident.

“Visibly disturbed at the thought of the black community being exploited by non-blacks, the Nation of Islam, under Tony Muhammad’s direction, stood vigilant, yelling, ‘Crackers,’ and other derogatory terms used to describe Caucasions,” Jasmyne Cannick, a black lesbian activist and author, wrote in an Aug. 10 blog.

“Although the original protest was racially motivated, several members of the crew feel that the protestors did know that it was a gay show, and that caused more friction between the groups,” continued Cannick, a co-producer of the show and occasional columnist for this newspaper. “One of the set assistants was referred to as a ‘sissy boy’ by Muhammad during the altercation.”

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