LOS ANGELES (AP) - After years of watching Muslims portrayed as terrorists in mainstream TV and movies, an advocacy group hopes to change that image by grooming a crop of aspiring Muslim screenwriters who can bring their stories _ and perspective _ to Hollywood.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council is hosting a series of workshops taught by Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated veterans over the next month, an initiative that builds on the group's outreach for a more representative picture of Muslim-Americans on the screen.
"The idea is to really give Muslims an avenue to tell our stories. It's as simple as that. There's a curiosity about Islam and a curiosity about who Muslims are _ and a lot of the fear that we're seeing comes from only hearing one story or these constant negative stories," said Deana Nassar, MPAC's Hollywood liaison.
At the council's first screenwriting workshop last Saturday, three dozen attendees packed into a classroom in downtown Los Angeles to hear Emmy-winning comedy writer Ed Driscoll give tips of the trade, from knowing the audience to making a script outline.
The group also has held meetings with top network executives from ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC, and throws a Muslim-inspired version of a Hollywood awards show each year for productions, both mainstream and independent, that advance understanding of Islam. In 2009, winners included "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The Simpsons," for an episode that featured Bart befriending a Muslim boy named Bashir.
The goal is not to spoon-feed Hollywood Muslim-friendly story lines, but to increase awareness of the diversity of American Muslims and to be a resource for writers and producers, Nassar said.
"There's only a small, small number of people who are trying to drive a negative agenda. Most of the time it's innocent oversight, and they're very happy to get our take on what they're doing, to get our feedback," said Nassar, who also attended the workshop and is an entertainment lawyer by training.

That feedback has been an eye-opener and a challenge for some in the industry, where the Muslim-as-terrorist plot line has been an accepted story for years.
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