GMA-7 Cancels "Haram"

Last week I wrote a post about GMA-7's upcoming programs and one of them was "Haram" which will be top-billed by Dingdong Dantes and Kylie Padilla. But unfortunately for the Kapuso Network, the upcoming soap received attacks particularly from the Muslim community due to it's sensitive content which features a forbidden love between a Christian man and a Muslim woman. And it coincided with the protests that the U.S. was receiving from Muslim community due a a controversial film that allegedly insults the Muslim Prophet Mohammed and it leave no option for the Kapuso Network but to shelve the project.

Here is GMA-7's official statement regarding the cancellation of "Haram":

HARAM is a story about the love of LUIS (Dingdong Dantes) a soldier who is of Christian faith for a Muslim girl, NADI (Kylie Padilla).

Eventually, the soldier will find out that this love is “haram” (forbidden); this is the reason why Nadi’s family is strictly against their friendship-much more their union.But because Luis’s love is true, he wants to prove that he only has good intentions for Nadi. This pushes him to convert to Islam, so that his love for Nadi would no longer be forbidden.This is the story of Haram.A story, not just of a unique kind of love, but also about a Muslim family (Nadi’s) and how they endeavor and strive to raise their children to be fitting and acceptable for Allah.It is the show’s intention to make the viewers understand why a relationship between a Muslim girl and a man from outside Islam is forbidden, a doctrine which is also present in other religious beliefs.At the same time, the show aims to present the beautiful side and the dynamics of the Muslim family life in our contemporary times, andthe dynamics of religious and cultural pluralism,with the desire to promote better understanding and mutual respect among people of various faith traditions.But because of the current tense atmosphere all over the world and in solidarity and in respect to the entire Muslim Community, GMA 7 has decided it is best to shelve Haram for now.We hope for everyone’s understanding.

The Kapuso gave in to the pressure. When I first heard about "Haram", I've already predicted that it will be controversial and will cause confusion between both Christian and Muslim community and I mentioned mentioned that the Kapuso Network is gonna have to be careful about this project because it is very sensitive and it could be subject for discrimination and insult to the Muslim Religion.

I think that GMA-7 intended to introduce the Muslim Culture to the Filipinos but as I took my own research about "Haram" and some contributions from readers, I understand that it is more that just a forbidden marriage of a Muslim to a Christian/Jews or to any sect outside Islam, even a relationship like boyfriend/girlfriend or even a crush with what the Muslim called as "Mahram(not relative) is considered "Haram" and the Kapuso Network had to respect that.

But I can't help but wander, Kylie Padilla is a member of the Muslim community, but she is very vocal in expressing that she got a crush on her supposedly leading man Dingdong Dantes and she also had a relationship with Kapuso Hunk Aljur Abrenica, which are both non-Islam, that is considered as "Haram" isn't it?