Never mind the fact that Islam isn't even a focal point of the show and the show displays significant diversity in the Muslims portrayed. You've got the political leaders who are Muslim in public and yet smoke and drink in private. You've got the guys who go to the mosque daily and are political journalists, and live life pretty straight. You got the more religious who are amassing weapons to start a revolution against their awful, backwards and myopic government. To say that Tyrant shows Islam in a bad light is false; it's hardly in any light at all.
But of course don't mention this to people who are perfectly okay to turn around and attack Christianity and lump all Christians in the same breath.
From what I've seen of most criticism of Tyrant's portrayal of a middle eastern nation is the usual thing where white people have to go and defend x minority because of y reasons as if it's some make believe world where everyone is perfect. Tyrant is flawed in that the drama is often forced, but let's not pretend that some of the atrocities that take place in the show do not happen in that part of the world.
The main criticisms for Tyrant, I think, are:
- takes place in Middle East and barely anyone in the cast is Arab
- local disgruntled native leaves for America, is blinded by western superiority, and comes back home to show everyone how it's done in the "21st century". Which is racist as fuck. Which certainly isn't the shows intention, bit it gets off those vibes. It's like a magic white person trope who brings the light to the indigenous "monsters" except his character is Arab. It's not a goal, but it sometimes feels like that. The good thing is that it shows a polar opposite image of the titular title in Tyrant.
- forced soap opera-Esque drama and characterization. See: the gay son.
Take on the show from the daily beast nails it:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/24/for-muslims-howard-gordon-s-tyrant-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction.html
