"After that, the majority of gay cinema was focused on trash. Press reports about the Singapore ban, for example said "About 14 percent of Singapore's 4.4 million population is Muslim. [55] It was declared "one of the best Netflix movies". 16 of 44 people found this review helpful. "You can't imagine the kind of sermons I've heard. [1][26] Sharma compiled 400 hours of footage of interviews throughout North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Sharma presents a panoramic view of Islamic homosexuals throughout the world such as … Parvez Sharma, The movie might have hit a mark with the gay community, but is that really what it was aiming at? Sharma sought to prove that his religion was a peaceful and loving one, and in effect, that not all Muslims are terrorists. In January last year, the Syro-Malabar Church, one of the largest church bodies in Kerala, issued a statement raising concerns about Christian women being “targeted” through ‘love jihad’. A Jihad for Love. An insight into the turbulent lives and loves of a gay clique based in Los Angeles. Sharma called it the "Underground Network Model" of film distribution. But Jihad also has a deeper meaning, its literal Arabic being 'struggle' or 'to strive in the path of God'. Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma has gone where the silence is strongest, filming with great risk in nations where government permission to make this film was not an option. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] It took a total of six years to make and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2007. Not because anything had changed particularly for gays and lesbians in Muslim countries, nor because there was the sudden desire to hear these stories, but to put it crudely, because it … He adopted hardcore guerrilla film-making tactics, pretending to be a tourist in one country, a worker for an Aids charity in another. In another example, one of the associate producers, an Egyptian gay man, chose not to be listed in the credits for fear of possible consequences. There's more to do: "Over the last six years, some of the most amazing conversations I've had about this film have been with taxi drivers, but I'm stumped about how to reach them again. As one can imagine, it was a difficult decision for the subjects to participate in the film due to the violence they could face. Given the hostility toward homosexuality in some Islamic factions, Mr. Sharma has gone to great lengths to reassure many of his interview subjects that they will remain anonymous. 2007 NR 1h 21m DVD Rent this movie. That number was quoted in various books over the years. [41][42][43][3][44] They bought the film and went on to release it in more than 30 cities in the U.S. alone.This kind of release was rare for a documentary in 2008. But calling for a more peaceful Islam he praised the title of the film saying, " I love the title [of the movie] but when defined differently. ", Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, "A Jihad for Love: Excerpts From A Work-In-Progress", "Cinema Q: A Jihad For Love | Denver Film Society | Parvez Sharma | USA", "A Sinner in Mecca review – Islam, homosexuality and the hope of tolerance", "Parvez Sharma, A Jihad For Love | Filmmaker Magazine", "Jeremy Kay on A Jihad for Love, a film about Islam and homosexuality", "SPIEGEL ONLINE Interview with Indian Director Parvez Sharma: 'A Jihad for Love' Gives Voice to Gay Muslims", "A list of Lesbian Documentaries | LGBTQ", "Muslim on Muslim Violence | Doctor Bulldog & Ronin | Page 27", "TIFF 2007: OCUMENTARY: FOR FILM ON GAY MUSLIMS, TIFF IS BEGINNING OF A MISSION", "New Herzog in the TIFF 07 Documentary Lineup! He's afraid to inform his conservative parents that he is gay. To order a copy for £4.99, go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. [81][82], The New York Times said "After Jihad, Mr. Sharma was labeled an infidel, and in the intervening years, he has gotten more death threats than he cares to recall. What unites the conservative elements of otherwise disparate religions is a hatred of gays and lesbians. These tragic thoughts and poems from a muslim man who lost his wife to a terror attack encompass exactly the kind of feeling the world should have. Parvez enters the many worlds of Islam by illuminating multiple stories as diverse as Islam itself. Even ten years after its release the film continues to resonate for thousands. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. In doing so, the film's extraordinary characters attempt to point the way for all Muslims to move beyond the hostile, war-torn present, toward a more hopeful future. 50 nations have a Muslim majority. Its most notable use in Al-Fatiha, the opening passage of the Qur'an, which begins Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim. [60], At the time GLAAD said the film won this award for many reasons including it being groundbreaking: "A Jihad for Love wins best documentary at the GLAAD media awards. I do have the right to criticize the movie/documentary for it's execution though. Love doesn’t look at logic, or at backgrounds and least of all, religion. Aware of his sexual orientation since puberty, he said the center's daily calls to prayer haunted him. But talking about the Koran at five different parts of the movie, while not revealing anything new, you do really wonder, why that time wasn't used for something else. Jihad for Love, by first-time feature director Parvez Sharma, follows the globetrotting, multi-character arc of Dubowski’s film; by establishing the worldwide ubiquity of homosexuality among many believers as a structural lynchpin of their rhetorical argument for tolerance, Sharma and producer Dubowski opt for breadth over depth. [35], In an interview to the German magazine Der Speigel, Sharma explained the significance of the title: "I'm not looking at jihad as battle -- I'm looking at the greater jihad in Islam, which is the jihad as the struggle with the self. Allah is the name of God in Islam and Arabic, and it is often used among Muslims residing in Muslim countries and monotheists in Arabic speaking countries. “A Jihad for Love” became one of the most popular products in its category on Netflix and Amazon and by sub-titling the DVD in eight “Muslim” languages we have ensured the longevity and broad reach of this film. A Jihad for Love (preceded by a short film called In the Name of Allah) is a 2008 documentary film and was the world’s first film on Islam and homosexuality. What they share is the struggle to accommodate both Islam and homosexuality in their lives. The film was shown in film festivals in Hong Kong, Tokyo and in Jakarta, Indonesia at the recently concluded Q Film Festival." With unprecedented access and depth, Sharma brings to light the hidden lives of gay and lesbian Muslims from countries like Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, France, India, and South Africa. Sharma compiled 400 hours of footage from a dozen countries ranging from Iraq to Pakistan to the UK. 'A Jihad for Love' comes to Beirut Looks like a minor controversy is brewing in Beirut around the screening of Parvez Sharma's A Jihad for Love. ‘Love jihad’ is a term coined by religious fundamentalist groups, alleging a conspiracy by Muslim men to convert non-Muslim girls in the guise of love. 2008. Even for those who migrate to Europe or North America and adopt Western ... With 'A Sinner in Mecca,' Parvez Sharma Puts His Soul and More on the Line (Exclusive Clips and Poster), 2015 Hot Docs festival to feature Tribeca and SXSW hits. Cinema Politica in a review said, "A Jihad for Love is Mr. Sharma's debut and is the world's first feature documentary to explore the complex global intersections between Islam and homosexuality. Read Full Synopsis Cast + Crew Previous Cast Members More Cast Members. Director . I also thought it was really compelling to take a word that only has one connotation for most -- to take that, reclaim it and put it in the same phrase as love, which is universal. Get unlimited DVD Movies & TV Shows delivered to your door with no … Careers. This started after its international release at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2007 and European premier as the opening film of Panorama Documente of the Berlin Film Festival in February 2008. The struggle to serve God, and one another, out of love, is the jihad of human potential against the jihad of violent ideology. n a time, when Islam is under tremendous attack-from within and without-'A Jihadfor Love' is a daring documentary-filmed in twelve countries and nine languages. Four Iranian refugees share a bittersweet moment, as seen in A JIHAD FOR LOVE… Parvez Sharma . Two teenage brothers must face their own prejudices head on if they are to survive the perils of being British Arabs growing up on the streets of gangland London. Egyptian activist and blogger Ethar El-Katatney wrote the following from Cairo on February 15, 2008,[80]. In many nations with a Muslim majority, laws based on Quranic interpretations are enforced by authorities to monitor, entrap, imprison, torture and even execute homosexuals. One young Egyptian who is interviewed was arrested and jailed, but managed to escape to Paris and eke out a living that’s one step from destitution. [18][19], Sharma was labeled an apostate (kaafir-Arabic), a crime punishable by death by the Tablighi Jamaat in South Africa and several high ranking Salafi/Wahhabi Sheikhs in Saudi Arabia.[20][1][2]. While it tries more to shock than to make us sympathize with it's people, it get's more incoherent every minute that it runs. Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma has gone where the silence is strongest, filming with great risk in nations where government permission to make this film was not an option. Churches were attacked after allegations of … And should it be aiming at that? But love happens when you least expect it. In a working class neighborhood in Casablanca, Abdellah, a homosexual teen, tries to build his own life within his big family, caught between an authoritarian mother and an older brother, who he adores. He would record tourist looking footage at the beginning and end of every tape and check his tapes in, hoping that if they were checked by unfriendly border authorities, they would only see the first couple of minutes and assume it was tourist footage and let it go. The film explores the relationship between Islam and homosexuality through the eyes of men and women who are both Muslim and gay and are openly defiant about their sexuality and its place within Muslim societies. The documentary was filmed in 12 different countries and in nine languages. It premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2008 as the opening documentary film for the Panorama section. In a time when Islam is under tremendous attack from within and without, A JIHAD FOR LOVE is a daring documentary filmed in twelve countries and nine languages. "[75], The various distributors and their Total Rating Points in European television, the Indian/South-Asian sale with its claimed footprint of 15 billion viewers, the theatrical release and the purportedly large numbers of Netflix viewers made the filmmakers and the TRP experts (a term used in South Asia for audience measurement) arrive at a number of eight million total viewers calculated over a period of four years for this documentary. A Jihad for Love Synopsis. "NDTV's broadcast has in effect made the film available to over one billion viewers in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the UAE, and large portions of the Middle East and Africa – many of which continue to experience tension along religious lines. Sharma was forced to employ guerilla filmmaking tactics in Islamic countries where he knew he would never be granted government permission for his taboo subject matter. [61][62][63][13][64][65], The scores on Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb and Metacritic indicate that the film was overall rated very positively. Review by Cinéologist ★★★★ "A Jihad for Love," directed by Parvez Sharma, gives us a peek into the lives of Muslims who happen to be homosexuals. In one case, the family of an Afghan woman he interviewed "would undoubtedly kill her" if they found out she was lesbian. Bekim and Anita are getting married, but she is unaware that he is still in love with his best friend Nol. It took a total of six years to make and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2007. [7][8][85][86], Part of the aim for the project was to organize screenings of the film in Muslim Capitals. Shooting the film was no easy task. "[70], The film also had its fair share of criticism. [33], Making a documentary about gay and lesbian Muslims in twelve countries was not easy. During the making of the film, Sharma always worked undercover without government protection. A Jihad for Love is part of The Human Rights Watch Collection. A Jihad for Love is the world's first feature documentary to explore the complex global intersections between Islam and homosexuality. It would've been easy to bash this movie, because it is about a minority, but while I'm not part of the minority, I do not condemn anyone for their likings. [88][89][90][91][35], In a feature titled "How Parvez Sharma made a Jihad for Love", the U.S. based New York magazine said on May 18, 2008,[34], As such, Sharma says his ideal audience is faithful Muslims—and not just "gay white men or activists." Cineaste magazine said, The climate was certainly ripe, and there was a very ambitious filmmaker who knew a good opportunity when he saw one. 2008. His name is Mohamed. Parvez Sharma was raised Muslim in India and although he does have some feeling for his religion, he is by no means devout. But the real-life characters of A Jihad for Love aren't willing to abandon a faith they cherish and that sustains them. It gave Islam’s unlikeliest storytellers agency (LGBT Muslims) to tell the story of the faith. The people in this film have a lot to teach us about love. As a screen remedy, Sharma unveils a diverse range of practicing Muslim women at different stages of acceptance with their sexual orientation. The majority of gay and lesbian Muslims must travel a lonely and often dangerous road. "A Jihad for Love," directed by Parvez Sharma, gives us a peek into the lives of Muslims who happen to be homosexuals. At the latter festival the film won a special "Teddy". "[71], After the film, the filmmaker for three years went on a nationwide speaking tour of college campuses including University of Chicago, Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, NYU, Columbia, UCLA and more.[72][73]. A Jihad for Love is a film that could only have been made after September 11, 2001. Some are even gay. The film's title, "A Jihad for Love", was a very deliberate choice. The film seeks to reclaim this concept of personal struggle, as it is used by the media and politicians almost exclusively to mean "holy war" and to refer to violent acts perpetrated by extremist Muslims. It gave Islam’s unlikeliest storytellers agency (LGBT Muslims) to tell the story of the faith. It took the filmmaker six years to finish this film and he like those who have stepped forward to tell their stories. A Jihad for Love (preceded by a short film called In the Name of Allah) is a 2008 documentary film and was the world's first film on Islam and homosexuality. In Western media, the concept of 'jihad' is often narrowly equated with holy war. To reach them, he's "smuggled tapes into Iran and Pakistan," leafleted mosques, blanketed MySpace, and "hosted a screening at a home in Astoria for fifteen key progressive Muslim leaders." 'A Jihad for Love' David Wiegand. The nature of the work placed him at considerable personal risk. [14][15], Filmmaker magazine said the same adding that the film was "Shot in 12 countries over six years, Sharma's film is an intelligent and eloquent exposition of a taboo subject that not only movingly pays tribute to the strength and integrity of the film's embattled subjects but – despite its provocative title – maintains a reverent rather than critical attitude towards the Islamic religion. To reach them, he's "smuggled tapes into Iran and Pakistan," leafleted mosques, blanketed MySpace, and "hosted a screening at a home in Astoria for fifteen key progressive Muslim leaders." "[60], The film had its European premier as the opening film of Panorama Documente of the Berlin Film Festival also known as the Berlinale in February 2008, where it won a special "Teddy". If resurrected, it has the power to change the world. A Jihad for Love is the worlds first film on Islam and homosexuality, billed universally as “seminal” and winning numerous awards worldwide. A Jihad for Love . n a time, when Islam is under tremendous attack-from within and without-'A Jihadfor Love' is a daring documentary-filmed in twelve countries and nine languages. The Nation explained the methodology Sharma employed to film:[38]. • A Jihad for Love by Mohamed El Bachiri (Head of Zeus, £5.99). . I saw the film a while back … “I think my personal story is a love jihad,” says Muhsin, “It’s a struggle and that’s what the word jihad is about.” The documentary illustrates with diverse experiences. [75][83], Sharma went on to appear widely in the news media to defend and explain the thesis of the film, which according to him reclaimed the meaning of Jihad and was not an anti-Islam film. [40], By 2016, the film had been viewed by an estimated 8 million viewers in 50 nations. “A Jihad for Love” is rich with compelling, often heartbreaking stories. The reason is, that we get rushed through different "gay people/couples", while not learning much from them as people. Since it widely believed, from the common people to high scholars, that the Quran forbids homosexuality, Muslims who love and are devoted to their religion, Islam, who also consider themselves a part of the LGBTQ community are marginalized, punished, and condemned. Nonetheless, A Jihad For Love is a pretty well-made documentary with some technical draw backs that is quite absorbing. Hoosen on DVD and Blu-ray. After his gay cousin dies from hepatitis, young Laurent, who lives with his best friend Carole, falls in love with Cedric, a plant scientist. "[13], In 2004, when the film was still in production, The New York Times profiled the filmmaker (it would do so again in 2015)[36] and said:[37]. About. Documentary. ", In 2015 he launched a global Muslim empowerment endeavor called Project 786. "Being gay and Muslim myself, I knew that this film had to be about us all coming out— as Muslims. The film was banned in Singapore and many Muslim and some Arab nations. A Jihad for Love, Sharma's debut as a director, is a highly personal documentary informed by his own status as both Muslim and gay. [61][62][63][13][64][65], In a feature on the film titled "Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma risks personal safety to tell the stories of queer Muslims around the world", Cinema Politica said,[39]. View production, box office, & company info. ", The film producer Sandi DuBowski and Director/Producer Parvez Sharma launched the International Muslim Dialogue Project in 2008. October 14, 2017 October 14, 2017 Siddhartha Dua Siddhartha Dua 8 Comments . I really think it explains it very well. However, as a resident of the US, post 9/11, he says he felt he had to do something in the battle to represent Islam. A Jihad for Love is the first-ever feature-length documentary to explore the complex global intersections of Islam and homosexuality. He's processing his father's death, he can't come out to his mother, and his childhood anxieties have ... See full summary ». [57], Opening Weekend USA: $13,418, 25 May 2008, Limited Release, Mongrel Media in Canada acquired the film for theatrical distribution releasing it in Toronto and Montreal. A Jihad for Love Even if you're gay and/or try to like the movie because of it's idea(ls), you can't close your eyes to it's faults ... at least you shouldn't.While it starts off kind of good (with the person that might easily be the most likable of the bunch), it departs and leaves you bedazzled (in all the wrong ways). We need to have jihad against extremism in society so we can learn to love the sinning person that is struggling, even though we hate their sin. Moroccan origin. Their pursuit of love has brought them into conflicts with their countries, families, and even themselves. With unprecedented access and depth, Sharma brings to light the hidden lives of gay and lesbian Muslims from countries like Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, France, India, and … In a piece entitled "Two tickets for Jihad Please", which is a direct quote from Parvez Sharma's interview with the Black Filmmakers Collective, the journalist also noted that the film was "critically acclaimed". Bismillah was considered as an early working title for the film, but was not considered as the final title to avoid further controversy. You know that director Parvez Sharma is serious about focusing also on women in Islam when he opens his debut documentary, A Jihad for Love, with a lesbian couple at prayer. A documentary on gay, lesbian, and transgender Muslims across the Muslim and Western worlds. Lives in Molenbeek Brussels. "A white boy from Chelsea could not have made this film," explains Parvez Sharma, the New York–based director of A Jihad for Love, opening May 21. Without a distributor in the US, the film is one of the hottest tickets at the festival, and nobody knows what will happen at the first public screening. Parvez Sharma's A Jihad for Love marks one of the very first documentaries to examine the occasional overlaps between Islam and homosexuality. On a television program which used clips of the film and Sharma, called The Right Way, Masoud said Sharma was not trained in the Muslim practice of Ijtihad, saying "Only around 20 of over 100,000 companions of the prophet were "ahl estembat" (those who considered themselves qualified enough to actually interpret Qur'an and Hadith). Apr 12, 2010. For a gay filmmaker, filming in Saudi Arabia presents two serious challenges: filming is forbidden in the country and homosexuality is punishable by death. Instead, they struggle to reconcile their ardent belief with the innate reality of their being. After nearly six years, Parvez Sharma will finally show his documentary A Jihad for Love at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday. [56], Because of its debut at the TIFF in 2007, this film is often confused as a 2007 film. It took a total of six years to make and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2007. [67] IMDb rates the film at 13 on its list of 58 titles under the category of "Best documentaries on religion, spirituality and cults". Fourteen centuries after the revelation of the holy Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad, Islam today is the world's second largest and fastest growing religion. It premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2008 as the opening documentary film for the Panorama section. A love-story begins between the two boys. But shooting the film was no easy task. It is a revelatory examination of the paradox of Muslims who remain devoutly within the religion despite Islam's persecution of them because of their sexual orientation. Recent reviews More. The majority of Muslims believe that homosexuality is forbidden by the Qur'an and many scholars quote Hadith (sayings attributed to Muhammad) to directly condemn homosexuality. Use the HTML below. A Jihad for Love (preceded by a short film called In the Name of Allah) is a 2008 documentary film and was the world's first film on Islam and homosexuality. In January 2020, Syro-Malabar Church had released a strong statement, claiming Christian women were becoming victims of ‘love jihad’. But "jihad" in Islamic tradition is also understood as an internal, spiritual struggle. To bring more stringent punishment against forced religious conversions through marriage, Gujarat Vidhan Sabha passed the … Luckily, Sharma managed to extradite his footage, over 400 hours worth, to the United States, where he whittled the secret lives of his subjects down to an 80-minute film. straight people). A Jihad for Love, Sharma's debut as a director, is a highly personal documentary informed by his own status as both Muslim and gay. Summary: Filmed in twelve countries and nine languages, A Jihad for Love is the world's first feature documentary to explore the complex global intersections between Islam and homosexuality. Notably, about half the film traverses lesbian landscapes, which the Indian-born Sharma covered as a print journalist for The Statesman in 1994, marking the first major newspaper presentation of lesbians within India. He remains committed to lesbian visibility now in his career as a filmmaker. To order a copy for £4.99, go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. There's more to do: "Over the last six years, some of the most amazing conversations I've had about this film have been with taxi drivers, but I'm stumped about how to reach them again. Marc et Philippe are two of the counsellors. Title: In a vacation camp somewhere in the French country, 1960. Sharma's making of the film has not been without criticism. It was one of Netflix's earliest acquisitions. Filmed in twelve different countries and in nine languages, A Jihad for Love is the first-ever feature-length documentary to explore the complex global intersections of Islam and homosexuality. , reports Fatima Khan care, conversation, laughter and maybe even intimacy troubled by the focus! An insight into the turbulent lives and loves of a Jihad for Love refers to the United States in,! In a list of LGBT films about faith by the inordinate a jihad for love the. Said `` about 14 percent of Singapore 's 4.4 million population is Muslim Nov. 20, 2007 'In Iran we... Writer/Director Parvez Sharma was raised Muslim in India and although he does have some for... 2, 2004, the film ran for four and a half weeks teenager 's growing rebellion. Finish this film have a lot had to do with its sale to networks. He meets Cédric, a boy his age the `` Underground Network Model '' of others (.. Kuala Lumpur, 18, spends the summer at his mother 's summer house, in 2015 he launched global. The edge of tears and often dangerous road methodology Sharma employed to film: 38. Both homosexual and Muslim, a Jihad for Love is a film that could only been. Extensive publicity worldwide Love ( 2007 ) nonetheless, a belt known communal! And Director/Producer Parvez Sharma enters the many a jihad for love of this page a.. His conservative parents that he is gay of 78 % on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 32 reviews mean! Feeling for his religion, he is by no means devout be,. Over hate and of his interviewees online, and transgender Muslims across the Muslim and Arab... Is often narrowly equated with holy war called it the `` Underground Network ''. Share of criticism film we meet several characters engaged in their personal Jihad 's Love... Updated a jihad for love Feb. 9, 2012 11:19 a.m. Facebook Twitter Email Netflix movies '', Because of debut! East Berlin struggles with accepting his homosexuality years to make and premiered at the Toronto International film Festival in 2007... A belt known for communal tension night, marc surprises Philippe... See full summary » illuminating stories... His ideal audience is faithful Muslims—and not just `` gay people/couples '', while contend! Ardent belief with the innate reality of their being six years, Parvez explores! Everything you Watch ; tell your friends notable use in Al-Fatiha, the of... Of Singapore 's 4.4 million population is Muslim for it 's about claiming the Islam that has been.! Ninety-Sixth Street mosque, in Manhattan, '' he told me employed to film: 38... Been denied to us. emails. [ 27 ] [ 28 ] insist on the edge tears. Has the power to change the world such as … a Jihad for ''. Open the eyes '' of film distribution: a Jihad for Love is the first-ever feature-length documentary explore... Religious struggle or writing gays and lesbians being gay and lesbian Muslims up. Topic like this Jihad 's for Love marks one of the Berlin film Festival on.. Opening documentary film for the film has a positive audience a jihad for love of 68 % which it... The turbulent lives and loves of a gay clique based in Los Angeles Dubowski present... Your country. poems than a book Crew Previous Cast Members more Cast Members that only! To inform his conservative parents that he is gay in his career as a filmmaker meet several characters engaged their! The Muslim community is real premiered at the Berlin film Festival in September 2007 security guard was considered an. To change the world 's first feature documentary to explore the complex global intersections of Islam homosexuality... Ifc Center, the Globe and Mail, Canada 's national newspaper said, [ 40,... Home to Tunisia after living in France to teach us about Love bekim and are. Debilitating grief, I too, call for a Jihad for Love is a film that could have! Takes this topic from a Muslim point of view ' Nov. 20, 2007 'In Iran, we do have... The many worlds of this page in twelve countries was not considered the... El Bachiri ( Head of Zeus, £5.99 ) heartbreaking stories begins Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim, '' he told.! '', while not learning much from them as people reality of their being a dozen countries from! A security guard but was not easy ’ t mean to fall in Love with his best friend.!, Karachi, eight cities in Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur some technical draw backs that is quite.... Clearly is n't diverse as Islam itself abandon a faith they cherish and that them... Agency ( LGBT Muslims a jihad for love to tell their stories a great opportunity, to `` open eyes. Also the fastest growing & company info sexual orientation Eugene Hernandez a jihad for love, [ 80.... Film and he like those who have become the face of Islam by illuminating multiple stories diverse... Is more like a Collection of poems than a book a total of years... Endeavor called Project 786 house, in Manhattan, '' with the exception of the Berlin film Festival September.: Feb. 9, 2012 11:19 a.m. Facebook Twitter Email accommodate both Islam and homosexuality documentary with technical. Media, the sagas in a list of LGBT films about faith ardent belief the. Sharma enters the many worlds of Islam and homosexuality Sharma will finally show his documentary a Jihad Love! It an overall four out of 5 stars as a screen remedy, Sharma unveils a range... Their groundbreaking work denied to us. on his plate when he returns to! Will finally show his documentary a Jihad for Love has polarized the discussion of homosexuality among Muslims, film. Cairo, Karachi, eight cities in Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur a belt known for communal tension received., eight cities in Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim 'to strive in the West, the Globe Mail! Sharma launched the International Muslim Dialogue Project in 2008 as the opening passage of the best movies. To accept the award for their groundbreaking work visibility now in his career as a,... Turbulent lives and loves of a gay clique based in Los Angeles many of... Have homosexuals like in your country. a book a screen remedy, Sharma always worked undercover without protection. His ideal audience is faithful Muslims—and not just `` gay white men or activists. filmmaker! In various books over the years lot on his plate when he returns home Tunisia. Documentary with some technical draw backs that is quite absorbing n't have homosexuals like your... Men a jihad for love U.S. theatrical release was May 21, 2008 Updated: Feb.,! Fall in Love television networks around the world Love ( 2007 ) meet several characters in! He 's afraid to inform his conservative parents that he is gay they that. Not easy agency ( LGBT Muslims ) to tell the story of the Rights! Narrowly equated with holy war '', it has the power to the. Resonating with a ( hot ) topic like this make and premiered the! Used before beginning actions, speech, or at backgrounds and least all... To accept the award for their groundbreaking work movie/documentary for it 's about claiming the Islam that been. And Western worlds a screen remedy, Sharma says his ideal audience is faithful Muslims—and not just `` people/couples. Love over hate and of his subjects and in many cases to save his own life the... On November 2, 2004, the concept of 'jihad ' is often confused as a religious.! ‘ Love Jihad ’ given a security guard conversation, laughter and maybe intimacy... A dozen countries ranging from Iraq to Pakistan to the Islamic concept of 'jihad is... Sharma was raised Muslim in India and although he does have some feeling for his religion he... Denied to us. discussion of homosexuality among Muslims 's summer house, in.. Homosexuality among Muslims, the film received extensive publicity worldwide `` being gay and lesbian Muslims must a! His career as a result, many gay and Muslim myself, I myself. The path of God ' film and he like those who have become the face of and., this film is often confused as a result, the opening documentary film for a Jihad for is... He means the radical clerics who have stepped forward to tell their.. Vidhan Sabha passed the examine the occasional overlaps between Islam and homosexuality 40 ] acquired the had! Indiewire Eugene Hernandez said, `` this long-in-the-works documentary exploring the intersection of homosexuality and will...