I must say that after my experience at the High School in Chicago last week, I have a lot of hope for America. If these young men and women go on to have a stake in the future of this country and if they do not constitute an anomaly in the nationwide High School demographic...there is tremendous hope. And yes, they would make a group of very interesting pundits on cable news...on this, yet another debate night...And now that it is clear that Islam is one of the hottest topics in this election season, their comments on this film and indeed Islam are important to read.
From Maliha
Dear Mr. Sharma,
I would like to congratulate you on making such an outstanding documentary and I would like to thank you for presenting your years of hard work to Senn High School.
I was astonished when you stated that you were nervous to talk a room full of students because I thought you did a wonderful job and you did not look nervous at all. I was very much interested in the topic of your documentary and the thoughts the people had on homosexuality.
Ever since I was little, I was taught not to judge a person under any circumstances whether it is a persons skin color, race, gender etc. I feel that this documentary will help people not judge others. God has created everyone differently for a reason and I think that no one should question nor judge another person.
I hope the message that you are trying to deliver spreads throughout the world and creates a positive change. I wish you all the best with your documentary and I hope to see another work of yours in the upcoming years.
From Maab:
I want to begin by saying thank you for coming to our school and for creating such an inspiring film. You did an amazing job!
Being a Muslim myself, I’m aware of the controversies revolving the idea of homosexuality and the phobia that exists. However, I didn’t know about it being mentioned in the Quran and people using that to condemn it.
There’s a saying in Islam that I heard multiple times that says homosexual relationships shake the throne of god. I think that is quite ironic because if that is true, why would god create people that way? I personally believe that homosexuality is something you’re born with, which questions the validity of it being a sin. Well I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t really know whether homosexuality is a sin or not, but I know that at the end, it’s the person and their god and I have no right to judge that person.
Again, I’d like to thank you for coming to Senn and sharing your ideas. You’re a true inspiration because you stood up for what you believed in despite the opposing viewpoints and controversies that might have created for you. Great job!
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
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Ashok Row Kavi posted the following comments on the SAJA (South Asian Journalists Association) public listserve. I have edited the personal ...
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The photographer is Peter Kom
6 comments:
Hey Mr. Sharma it was really nice to have you visit our school. The movie that you have made really opened up my mind on how people are catagorized and if something is out of the ordinary, people dont think of it as normal and dont accept it. I think your movie is eye opening, it really shows how people have to live in fear of people instead of God. I am a Muslism too and in Pakistan where i lived no one really treated gay people bad. They were friendly and very rarely people made fun of them. Since i was a kid i think maybe i didnt notice that a lot i guess but i had a servent who was gay and was very friendly. I juz really want to say people should not think of homo sexuals as different people because they are humans too. And thank u again for coming to our school.
Hello Mr. Parvez, I'm Özgür from Turkey but I live in Belgium. I didn't watch the movie yet but I heard and I read many things about the movie and I want to say many many thanks to you in what you have done. There is a saying that Mêvlana said in the past. "COME, COME AGAİN! WHATEVER YOU ARE, COME AGAİN! WHETHER YOU ARE İNFEDEL, WHETHER YOU ARE İDOLATER OR WİREWORSHIPPER, WHETHER YOU HAVE BROKEN YOUR VOWS OF REPENTANCE A HUNDRED TİMES, THİS IS NOT THE GATE OF DESPAİR; THİS İS THE GATE OF HOPE. COME, COME AGAİN, wHATEVER YOU ARE, COME AGAİN..." I just wanted to share this with everybody, and like Maab said before, "homosexuality is something you’re born with, which questions the validity of it being a sin. Why would god create people that way?" That's realy true what he says. As last I thank you again in the name of muslim lgbt people that we are thankful because of your fantastic work. Hopefully we will see more movies of you in the next future. I wish you God`s mercy and grace, the abundance, the love and all the goodness to you.
Thank you for coming to HSU.
A lot of the perspectives here, especially from within the queer community, are highly anti-religious.
Those of us who retain our connections with religion after we come out, are often shunned for it from within the gay community. This was very apparent during our school's Day of Silence protest when we had a church speaking at the same time as our protest. Their protest was very peaceful and only slightly anti-gay. They weren't protesting us specifically and they weren't that bad. They even offered to open up a dialogue with us. Our side responded to their request with anger and disrespect.
The religious among us were horrified, but we haven't found any other way to convince religious conservatives we're ok.
Even though I am not from an anti-gay religion, your movie meant a lot to me. It helped me understand my fiance who is still deeply religious and out and proud at the same time and it gave me some ideas for how we can approach the religious community.
Hope you can come again.
I'm here at your blog and I'm saying something nice!
thanks for coming to HSU
I really like the trailer. I am a university student in Canada and we watned to show the documetary amongst our student groups. I wanted to know if the documentary has been released on DVD so that we can get it from somewhere.
Keep up the good work.
Regards,
Ayesha
Hello Mr. Sharma. I have heard a lot about your film and would really like to see it. The film has been screened in a few cities in Canada, but not yet in Vancouver, BC. Many people will appreciate a screening of the film in BC. Please consider coming to Vancouver. Also, congratulation on all the success you are having with the film.
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