So here I am in Chicago and will update you all soon. Today I will speak at a High School where 25 percent of the students are Muslim! And then at the University of Chicago, where unlike Michigan, the MSA refused to participate. Inshaallah they will show up.
Some more emails:
# 1
Hi Parvez, indeed it was a fabulous night and Gabe did a great job. Thank you for having directed A Jihad fo Love, it took a lot of time, bravery and generosity to get to such a brilliant result... it's amazing.
Two questions for you: is it easy to broadcast this documentary in Muslim countries? Then, the document seems to suggest that atheism is just not an option. is it because you wanted to focus only on muslims with faith or because it is much too difficult to be openly atheist in Muslim countries?
Thank you for your attention,
maxime
# 2
I admire you greatly you have a great sense of faith and courage. It takes a lot to stand up for who you are and what you believe in.
# 3 (and RICH, I am not from this film ; (
Do you claim to be an expert on knowing whether gays are interested in religion or not? Most queers are religious/spiritual beings. They are not welcomed in one place they should be, as should all outcasts of society...and that's in a place of worship. Because God doesn't discriminate, people do. Neither Jesus nor the Prophet rejected those on the fringes of society or a minority...they embraced them. Also, what's the connection between a documentary and getting rich off of Islam bashing?
and the lovely # 4:
You will be stoned in the after life.
faggot poop eating sissy boy.
started this blog, 2007. today i am a guggenheim fellow, a much lauded filmmaker and author; creator of 3 world firsts: a jihad for love; a sinner in mecca (films) + 112,000 page book. visit parvezsharma.com but this blog is historically important; a partial on the road record; the world's first ever film on islam and homosexuality; fact = "islam trilogy" = 8 million plus eyeballs; yes, death, defying work, but re-taught me gratitude+ humility; karma backbones = dh; sd; at; hva; pa
1 comment:
Parvez, thank you...for visiting Senn High School, for making such an important film, and for sharing with us your insights on its creation and, more importantly, on its themes. This was an educational experience my students and I will not soon forget.
I cannot believe you were nervous to speak in front of high school students; there are many veteran teachers who are less engaging than you were yesterday. These students are used to 45-minute classes filled with a variety of instructional techniques; but after sitting silently through an 81-minute film, they reamined engaged for nearly another hour
while you responded to their questions - and not a single paper airplane adorned the skies :) You're a natural.
It is unrealistic, I think, to expect that our Muslim (and non-Muslim) students will all come to accept the reconciliation of homosexuality and Islam (or any religious orthodoxy), though some may do so. I am confident that all of the students, however, learned the more powerful lessons that we can disagree while still engaging in civil discourse, and that we must not fail to acknowledge the human consequences that accompany our beliefs. We saw those lessons applied in the respectful and engaging discussion that followed the screening.
I am curious to know how the UofC presentation went. Did the MSA show up after all?
I am also interested in reading my students' thoughts. I'll be sure to have them jam this blog with their comments.
With warm regards,
David Gregg
Nicholas Senn High School
Chicago,IL
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