US Muslims seek to change on-screen image

[Gerald]

US Islamic groups have long complained about how Muslims are portrayed by the media. Now Hollywood is moving to change that: at a screenwriters' workshop in Los Angeles, young Muslims are encouraged to offer their own stories as a more authentic voice, the BBC's Rajesh Mirchandani reports.

"There's room for humour in every film, almost. Room for some kind of relief," says Ed Driscoll, an Emmy-award-winning comedy writer who is leading a class one Saturday morning in south Los Angeles.

This screenwriting workshop focuses on comedy and is the last of four weekly sessions, giving practical tips to people who want to make it in the cutthroat world of Hollywood.

What differentiates this class from countless others in America's entertainment capital is that 19 out of the 20 students are Muslim.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12856708

Note: 25 March 2011 Last updated at 18:16 GMT