A Jihad for Love

Infobox Film
name = A Jihad for Love


image_size =
caption = First Run Features poster for "A Jihad for Love" (US)
director = Parvez Sharma
producer = Sandi Simcha DuBowski,
Parvez Sharma
Ioannis Mookas, assistant
writer =
narrator =
starring =
music = Sussan Deyhim
Richard Horowitz
supervised by
Ramsay Adams
Abe Velez
cinematography = Parvez Sharma
editing = Juliet Weber
distributor = First Run Features (U.S.)
released = 2007
21 May 2008 (U.S. premiere)
runtime = 81 min
country =
language = English, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hindi, French, Turkish, etc.
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.ajihadforlove.com/
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0780046

"A Jihad for Love" (2007) is the world's first documentary film on the coexistence of Islam and homosexuality.cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =A Jihad for Love
work =
publisher =ajihadforlove.com
date =
url =http://www.ajihadforlove.com
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-06-13 ] The film is directed by Parvez Sharma, and produced by Parvez Sharma and "Trembling Before G-d" director Sandi DuBowski.

The film has also been known under the working title "In the Name of Allah".

Production

"A Jihad for Love" is produced by Halal Films, in association with Channel 4 Television (UK), ZDF (Germany), Arte (France-Germany), Logo (US) and SBS (Australia).

The documentary was filmed in 12 different countries and in nine languages.cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =A Jihad for Love: Excerpts From A Work-In-Progress
work =
publisher =Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
date =
url =http://www.mglff.com/16filmsbydate_loveisjihad.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-06-13] cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = A Jihad for Love
work =
publisher =Hartley Film Foundation
date =2007
url = http://hartleyfoundation.org/jihad-for-love
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-02-18 ] Sharma conducted interviews throughout North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Countries included Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Turkey, France, India, South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom. He found many of his interviewees online, and received thousands of emails. cite news
last = Hays
first = Matthew
coauthors =
title = Act of Faith: A Film on Gays and Islam
work =
pages =
language = English
publisher = The New York Times
date = 2 November, 2004
url = http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/02/movies/02alla.html?ex=1257138000&en=65bd923d140d39c0&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland
accessdate = 2007-02-05 ]

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2007, and has been screened to great acclaim at several film festivals around the world. The U.S. theatrical release was 21 May 2008 at the IFC Center in New York City. The film screened at the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco on 28 June 2008, and the Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival on 13 July 2008.

ignificance of the title

The title "A Jihad for Love" refers to the Islamic concept of jihad, as a religious struggle. The film seeks to reclaim this concept of personal struggle, as it is used in the Western media almost exclusively to mean "holy war" and to refer to violent acts perpetrated by extremist Muslims.

The film has gone by several titles, beginning with the official working title, "In the Name of Allah".cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =In the Name of Allah
work =
publisher =tremblingbeforeg-d.com
date =
url =http://www.ajihadforlove.com/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-06-13]

Among Muslims, the phrase ("bismillah" in Arabic) may be used before beginning actions, speech, or writing. Its most notable use in Al-Fatiha, the opening passage of the Qur'an, which begins "Bismillahi r-Rahmāni r-Rahīm." All following surat of the Qur'an, with the exception of the ninth, begin with these words.

Producer DuBowski's previous film, "Trembling Before G-d", on Orthodox and Hasidic Jews, also included the name of God, written with a hyphen as in Jewish tradition. Allah is Arabic for God, and the Arabic word is often used among English-speaking Muslims.

Controversy and problems

Sharma's making of the film has not been without criticism.

Sharma refuses to associate homosexuality with shame, but recognizes the need to protect the safety and privacy of his sources, by filming them in silhouette or with their faces blurred. In one case, the family of an Afghan woman he interviewed "would undoubtedly kill her" if they found out she was lesbian. 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.

The film was banned from screening at the 2008 Singapore International Film Festival "in view of the sensitive nature of the subject that features Muslim homosexuals in various countries and their struggle to reconcile religion and their lifestyle," Amy Chua, Singapore Board of Film Censors chairwoman was quoted as saying by "The Straits Times".cite web
last = Associated Press
first =
authorlink = Associated Press
coauthors =
title =Singapore censors ban films on terrorism, homosexual, fetish
work =
publisher = The China Post
date =
url =http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/singapore/2008/04/06/150637/Singapore-censors.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-03-08]

Critical reception

As of May 25, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 90 percent of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 10 reviews. [cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jihad_for_love/ |title=Jihad for Love Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=2008-05-23 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 55 out of 100, based on six reviews — indicating mixed or average reviews. [cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/jihadforlove |title=Jihad for Love, A (2008): Reviews |accessdate=2008-05-23 |publisher=Metacritic]

ee also

* Islam and homosexuality
* Homosexuality and religion
* "Gay Muslims" (2006 Channel 4 TV documentary)
* "Trembling Before G-d" (2001 documentary film)

References

External links

* [http://www.ajihadforlove.com Official site]
*imdb title|id=0780046|title=A Jihad for Love
*rotten-tomatoes|id=jihad_for_love|title=A Jihad for Love
*metacritic film|id=jihadforlove|title=A Jihad for Love
*amg movie|id=1:410904|title=A Jihad for Love
* [http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/wonews036.htm Director of Film on Muslim Homosexuals Frets over His Subjects' Safety]
* [http://www.indypressny.org/article.php3?ArticleID=2546 Film of Muslim gays stirs up sentiments]
* [http://hartleyfoundation.org/jihad-for-love A Jihad for Love] , Hartley Film Foundation
* [http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,2163210,00.html Hearts and Minds] , article in The Guardian