A Jihad for Love
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 in eight languages. Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma has gone where the silence is loudest, filming with great risk in nations where government permission to make this film was not an option. A Jihad for Love is the world`s first feature documentary to explore the complex global intersections between Islam and homosexuality. Sharma enters the many worlds of Islam by illuminating multiple stories as diverse as Islam itself.
Member Reviews
A solid doc - hart
I thought this documentary showed many views of being a gay while seeking to follow Islam. While the camera work was a little choppy in places I can appreciate that it must have been hard to get good quality gear into some of those countries. One the whole I really enjoyed it and look forward to more films from this documentarian.A Reality Check - Johnsmcgill
A great film. I actually found it encouraging to see the progress (albeit small) that is being made. At the very least, some Muslim groups are exploring ways to merge their religeon with sexual orientation. The people followed in the film were very brave for facing the issues head-on. Very sad to see the treatment of those identified as homosexual in their own country.gave me nightmares - judith_in_ottawa
I really want to know more about what it is to be both muslim and gay, and this film did give me a very grim sense of that reality.
I didn't expect to see an animal get its throat slit; that gave me nightmares. (Not that this is not the lot of animals in the world; I know it is.) But the image wouldn't let me sleep. (I'm vegetarian because I don't like cruelty to animals.)
So, I suppose the film showed that image because it didn't want to show the killing of gay men (also a reality), or because it wanted to say something about muslims; I'm not sure and didn't want to investigate further.
But I didn't like it. And the images of flailed backs, and the sadness of people separated from their families -- other images that kept me awake -- these were also hard to watch.
So, I'm not faulting the accuracy, but I would have preferred listening to people speak about their experiences. Even when I tried to watch a special feature at the end -- an interview with a North American gay muslim, the horrific images were interspersed with his words, and I turned it off.
Member Reviews
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A solid doc - hart
I thought this documentary showed many views of being a gay while seeking to follow Islam. While the camera work was a little choppy in places I can appreciate that it must have been hard to get good quality gear into some of those countries. One the whole ...A Reality Check - Johnsmcgill
A great film. I actually found it encouraging to see the progress (albeit small) that is being made. At the very least, some Muslim groups are exploring ways to merge their religeon with sexual orientation. The people followed in the film were very brave ...gave me nightmares - judith_in_ottawa
I really want to know more about what it is to be both muslim and gay, and this film did give me a very grim sense of that reality.
I didn't expect to see an animal get its throat slit; that gave me nightmares. (Not that this is not the lot of animals ...