25 October 2007
Muslim American Filmmaker Discusses Islam in America
USINFO Webchat transcript, October 24
Muslim American filmmaker Anisa Mehdi answered questions in an October 24 USINFO Webchat on Islam in America and her filmmaking and video projects.
Following is the transcript:
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
USINFO Webchat Transcript
Ramadan in America: Through the Lens of a Filmmaker
Guest: Anisa Mehdi
Date: October 24, 2007
Time: 3:45 p.m. EDT (1945 GMT)
Moderator: Welcome to today's webchat with filmmaker Anisa Mehdi. You may begin sending in your questions now.
Please Note: The webchat will begin earlier than scheduled. We will begin around 19:15 GMT today, October 24.
Anisa Mehdi: Good afternoon and asalaamu 'alaykum. Eid mubarak to all. It amazes me to sit in an office in Washington DC and be connected to people all over the Earth. I welcome this conversation together about Islam in America, Ramadan, filmmaking and more.
Question [Chat Participant]: I think it is interesting to know about Inside Mecca. What freedom did you have to film in the shrine?
Answer [Anisa Mehdi]: Thank you for the question.
I love talking about how Inside Mecca was made. In fact, American students in some public schools get to see the film as part of their Global Studies curriculum and I answer as many questions in person as I may. The film is also part of Islam 101 courses at many universities. To your question about filming inside the Haram: We did not bring our own team into the area of the Ka'aba to film as it was entirely too crowded to do that without endangering people engaged in worship. Instead the Saudi TV television control room atop the mosque was made available to me and I directed action of remote controlled cameras that regularly cover prayer there.
To my knowledge, no other project had that opportunity before. The rest of the film was original material videotaped by myself and my teams and, of course, archival footage.
Moderator: Learn more about our guest speaker and "Inside Mecca" at http://www.anisamehdi.com/.
Q [Chat Participant]: If you had to say one thing about your Muslim religion to a nonmuslim, what would it be?
A: I want people to know that Islam is a religion of reason and peace, not extremism and close-mindedness. There are circumstances in individuals' lives that may cause them to behave in un-Islamic, un-Christian, un-Jewish, un-God-like ways that grab media attention. There are individuals who interpret the spirit of their religion differently than do I. Sometimes I agree with their views and actions. Sometimes I do not. When violence is involved I do not agree.
It is said we have two ears and one mouth so we may listen twice as much as we speak. Listening is key to reconciliation, being reasonable and being peace-makers. Islam is a religion of reason and peace and that is what I want people to know. That is what I believe most Muslims demonstrate.
Moderator: Today's webchat is the third in our series on Ramadan and the U.S. To read our earlier chats, please visit:
Imam Discusses How Ramadan is Observed in America
How Do Americans Observe Ramadan?
Q [Chat Participant]: What you wish nonmuslim will ask you about your muslim religion?
A: I wish non-Muslims would ask: what don't I know about Islam that would help me understand how it relates to Judaism and Christianity? Those connections will make people feel less fearful, suspicious and distant from Islam.
Q [Mjasiri]: How do American Muslims purify and cleanse their soul through fasting, as there are so many temptations in America?
A: Dear Mjasiri, ah, temptation. The best and worst trial for any person of faith. American Muslims, like Muslims anywhere, cleanse our bodies and souls through the discipline of fasting, that is abstaining from food, liquid, cigarettes, sex, and most importantly, becoming grumpy or cranky. It is rising above our habits and inclinations that gives us power and increased self-respect during Ramadan. Perhaps it is more difficult for Muslims in America; perhaps not. A lot depends on how individuals are raised by their parents, what their usual tendencies are, and their devotion to the practice of fasting. How do you purify and cleanse your soul with the temptations you face during Ramadan where you live?
Q [merdan-tabat]: Is it difficult to hold ramadan in America?
A: I think it is becoming easier and easier for Muslims to practice Ramadan in America, Merdan-Tabat. More and more people are aware of how special this time of year is; more and more non-Muslim Americans and American institutions are participating in iftars (evening fast-breaking meals) and in Eid celebrations.
In New Jersey where I live there have been family Eid celebrations at amusement parks and, this year, at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, where a remarkable exhibit on Rediscovering Islamic Sciences is in the spotlight. Still, Muslims are a minority in this country and people forge ahead with everyday life, appointments, schedules and commitments. We must maintain a regular schedule while fasting and that does increase the personal challenge.
Q [Waheed]: This is Waheed from Muzaffarabad AJK. How do other communities respond to Muslims in the Month of Ramadan?
Do they also respect our rituals activities?
A: Waheed, I find an increasing interest in and respect for Muslim rituals and activities in America, especially during Ramadan. It is such a different kind of religious ritual than the popular Christian and Jewish festivals and people begin to admire the self-discipline and positive attitudes that so many Muslim Americans demonstrate during Ramadan. People especially enjoy being invited to share food, so iftar events are popping up everywhere, from mosques, churches and synagogues, to museums, city halls, and Ethical Culture Society facilities.
Q [Rafiq]: Aslam-O-Alaiku, I am Rafiq from LC Muzaffarabad. My question is: Do you think that fasting is difficult in USA as compare to other countries?
A: Dear Rafiq, I have only spent three days in a Muslim majority country during Ramadan -- that was in Turkey and I loved being awakened by the sound of drums in the streets of Istanbul before dawn and seeing the lights of the minarets go green at maghreb. It was wonderful to fast when practically everyone around me was fasting, too. But I can only compare those three days with my months of fasting in the USA. And these are wonderful, too. Ramadan is a special time of family gatherings and it's the time of year I most like to cook.
Frankly, too, it gets difficult as the month goes on and I find myself impatient for Eid. I get tired of being hungry every day. And then I remind myself that there are people who are hungry every day, month after month, year after year ... and I become grateful again for the chance to be hungry only for a few hours. I'll bet people all over the world feel that way, too. Don't you?
Q [Ali Eid CAIRO EGYPT]: Have Muslim Women in the United States constructed their identities [as] Americans?
A: That's a tough question, Ali Eid, because there are so many Muslim American women and I am just one of them. We construct our identities in myriad ways, as do women all over the world. So much depends on our families, our education, our culture, our opportunities for freedom and self-expression. I think in the USA you'll see Muslim women expressing themselves with every kind of attire you can imagine. You'll find Muslim women who are highly educated and some illiterate. Some will marry the man their family chooses but I believe most will choose their own spouse -- as is our mandate. The women I know best are well-educated, lots of fun, and highly motivated in their professions; they are excellent friends and mothers. They assemble their identities from their ethnic and racial roots, from their interests and talents, and from their good common sense.
None of this conflicts with being Muslim. In fact, now that I think about it, the guaranteed freedoms of this nation enhance and empower our identity as Muslim women.
Q [Kuba]: Thank you. As you work in media. What role media will play in the bridge between cultures and also what it can/will do to break the bridge? As you know media is a weapon to be used in pos/neg manner.
A: Media and irresponsible reporting has done a lot of damage to possibilities for peace and understanding. There are deadlines that interfere with getting a complete story; there are commercial interests that tip the balance; there are personal prejudices and ignorance that get in the way of authentic story-telling. That said, there are also excellent journalists out there who recognize that there are consequences to the way they report a situation. I recommend to people to vary their media intake, to watch documentary films, to read newspapers they think they disagree with, to surf the international press for a variety of viewpoints.
Q [Poorna]: How accommodative and tolerant do you think the U.S. is to Islam?
A: Poorna, people are people where ever you go. Governments are governments. There is good and there is awful. National policy doesn't always reflect how people really feel or what they want. That's all true here, too. There is a lot in the USA that is successful and accommodating regarding Islam and Muslims, especially on personal and local levels. Even on a national level: I was invited to an iftar at the U.S. Department of State this Ramadan, for example. But the fact that there are also people (mostly Muslim men) imprisoned without charges, that Muslim charities are closed down, that a musician and peacemaker like Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens) can't enter this country, that esteemed scholars like Tarik Ramadan are denied entry, that Guantanamo is filled with confused, angry and listless souls, all demonstrate the opposite: a lack of tolerance and understanding. It's a tough time here now -- certainly not tough on the scale of the horrors of Iraq, Afghanistan or the Congo! -- but a time of reckoning and rebalance. American Muslims and non-Muslims are rising to the task. And it will take time.
Moderator: We wish to thank Anisa Mehdi for joining us today. The Webchat is now closed. Please visit our USINFO Webchat Station homepage for more information on upcoming events and a transcript of today’s discussion (usually posted within one business day).
(Guests are chosen for their expertise. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of State.)
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
