Event

A Jihad for Love

United States/United Kingdom/France/Germany/Australia, 2007, 81 minutes
English/Arabic/Hindi/Persian/Urdu/French (English Subtitles)
Directed by Parvez Sharma

Islam is today the world's second largest and fastest growing religion. Filmmaker Parvez Sharma travels the many worlds of this dynamic faith, discovering the stories of it's most unlikely storytellers: lesbian and gay Muslims. Filmed over five years, in twelve countries and nine languages, A Jihad for Love explores the complex global intersections between Islam and homosexuality. The international chorus of gay and lesbian Muslims in Sharma's debut feature does not seek to vilify or reject Islam, but rather negotiate a new relationship to it. Each interviewee has a vastly different personal take on Islam, some observing a rigorously orthodox regimen, others leading highly secular lifestyles while remaining spiritually devout. The camera attentively captures the stories of these gays and lesbians, giving the viewer an honest rendering of their lives while complicating our assumptions about a monolithic Muslim community.

This film is one of three screening in the series "Faith and Sexuality, On Film and In Person." Trembling Before G-d screens June 12 and For the Bible Tells Me So screens July 22 and A Jihad for Love. You can purchase individual tickets to this series for $8.00 each, or an all series pass $15.00. JCC East Bay members will be admitted to these films for free.