Filmmaker Wants To Stop Fathers From Giving Up Their Daughters

 

She fights for the rights of women by telling stories about heroic men.

"The struggle to end violence against women has always been carried out by women activists," says Samar Minallah Khan, who makes documentaries about gender-based violence in her native Pakistan.

"Women have worked very hard to bring awareness, but it will never be enough." That's why she brings men into the picture. And her approach has won acclaim from both men and women.

Khan is one of five women honored with a Global Leadership Award by Vital Voices, a group founded by Hillary Clinton after the World Conference of Women in Beijing in 1995. At the presentation ceremony, held at the Kennedy Center last month, a packed house of women gave her a standing ovation when she dedicated the award to the men in her life: "my amazing supportive and loving father, my husband, my brothers and my son."

Khan's films focus primarily on the practice of swara, where a daughter is given away as compensation for a crime. Swara happens mainly in poor, rural areas.

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The most common myths about Muslim women and why they�re wrong

 

Myth: Muslim women are inferior to men

Growing up as an Alawite Muslim, I certainly felt my brothers were given preferential treatment. However, I also recall that the reasons (or excuses), given by my parents were more related to status and reputation than religion, including the all-too familiar refrain,But we can�t let you go out! What will people say?  

There is a fine line between culture and religion. My friend Sofia, a university lecturer, says that religion is culture, and that regarding it as a separate phenomenon only obscures the reality - that human societies shape and modify religion according to their own peculiarities and practices (which is indeed what we are seeing with modern terrorist groups).

But that doesn�t change the fact that the often-abhorrent treatment of women in Muslim societies is largely at odds both with Islamic history and with what is written in the Quran. Whilst I view Islam through a secular rather than spiritual lens, for Randa, every day is �a struggle to reconcile my deep conviction in, and devotion to, the Islamic faith with the sickening reports of abuses of many women in the name of Islam.�

However, she adds, �Not for a moment do I think that the oppression and brutality directed against women stem from sincerely held religious beliefs. Whether it is targeting girls who seek an education in Afghanistan or treating women like second-class citizens in Saudi Arabia, the fact is that the oppression of women is essentially about coveting power and dominating women.�

For all their differences, the underpinnings of both Muslim and western societies are fundamentally the same, for each is built on the shaky foundation of patriarchy. As much as we like to blame religion for much of the world�s ills, the truth is, much of what we recognise as religious oppression is actually cultural misogyny.

On that note, I�ll leave the last word to Randa, who calls for, �A kind of radical surgery in Muslim countries in order to remove the festering, diseased pustule of patriarchy that attempts to define one half of society as walking sex organs�This would entail promoting theologically grounded arguments that would empower women to make dignified choices based on their own religious tradition.�

Amen. 

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Anthony Bourdain - Parts Unknown - Gaza and the West Bank (HD)

Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan - "The Jahaliyyah of Matrimonials

Meet Australia's Muslim Power Couple

Susan Carland and Waleed Aly are exactly the type of people you�d want at your dinner party: intelligent, outspoken, engaging, charming, funny. Add Australian accents to that package and you�ve won me over in a second. 

Independently of each other, married couple Carland and Aly often serve as the public faces of Islam in Australia. Aly, 35, is a broadcaster who hosts multiple shows on both radio and TV, covering news events ranging from politics to entertainment to sports. Carland, 34, is often called on by the media to write articles or give interviews discussing her academic work on the intersection of feminism and Islam. The duo�s friends jokingly refer to them as the �Muslim Brangelina,� and it�s easy to see why. They are young, good-looking, fashionably-dressed and charitable. Like Brangelina, except sans Hollywood and plus two upcoming Ph.Ds.

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"He culturally believed he had the right to hit his wife and discipline his wife.�

 I hope he enjoys the dhal in prison! So disgusted....

A Pakistani immigrant beat his wife to death in their Brooklyn home after she made the mistake of cooking him lentils for dinner instead of the hearty meal of goat meat that he craved, according to court papers.

Noor Hussain, 75, was so outraged over the vegetarian fare that he pummeled his wife, Nazar Hussain, 66, with a stick until she was a �bloody mess,� according to prosecutors and court papers.

�Defendant asked [his wife] to cook goat and [his wife] said she made something else,� the court papers indicated as Hussain�s murder trial opened on Wednesday.

�The conversation got louder and [his wife] disrespected defendant by cursing at defendant and saying motherf-?-ker, and . . . defendant took a wooden stick and hit her with it on her arm and mouth.�

Defense attorney Julie Clark admitted Hussain beat his wife � but argued that he is guilty of only manslaughter because he didn�t intend to kill her. In Pakistan, Clark said, beating one�s wife is customary.

�He comes from a culture where he thinks this is appropriate conduct, where he can hit his wife,� Clark said in her opening statements at the Brooklyn Supreme Court bench trial. �He culturally believed he had the right to hit his wife and discipline his wife.�

Prosecutors, however, said Hussain meant for his wife to die.

�His intentions were to kill his wife,� Assistant District Attorney Sabeeha Madni said in court. �This was not a man who was trying to discipline his wife.�

Madni said that Hussain �brutally attacked his wife as she lay in her bed� � leaving deep lacerations on her head, arms and shoulders, and causing her brain to hemorrhage.

He beat her with a stick that the family had found in the street and used to stir their laundry in a washtub, the court papers state.

He then tried to clean up the blood that had splattered onto their bedroom wall before calling his son for help, Madni said.

�I killed her. Hurry up and come over,� Hussain told his son, according to prosecutors.

Madni also said Pakistani women who lived in the same building as the Hussains would testify about the beatings Nazar received at the hands of her husband.

�They have told us about years of abuse they witnessed,� Madni said.

Hussain met his wife in Pakistan and the couple married before moving to Brooklyn, prosecutors said.

The trial continues Thursday before Judge Matthew D�Emic.

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�Jinn� � Shadows in the Night May Bring Islam, Muslims to Light

 Figures in the corners of your eyes, strange noises in the middle of the night, the feeling of being watched - have you experienced any of these? Yes?

Your heart races, adrenalin pumps through your veins and fear creeps into your mind - is it just your imagination? No? We know what the answer is. It's a jinn.

Since we were children, Muslims have told stories from generation after generation about the third being living on earth. With certainty and resolve, we know that it is exists, and we know that it's the answer to the fearful question of "What goes bump in the night?"

Now, the rest of the world will learn about what we've known about for years - the jinn. God creation made from smokeless fire, jinns live in the unseen world, in dimensions beyond our visible universe. 

On April 4, 2014 "Jinn," a true labor of love written and directed by Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad and much-anticipated by Muslim audiences, will open in theaters across the country. "Jinn" is the thrilling tale of Shawn, an automotive designer with a high-powered job, who appears to have the perfect life until one day when he receives a message that he will soon incur the wrath of a generational curse. When a series of nightmarish events reveal the ominous warning to be true, Shawn seeks the help from the mysterious Gabriel (Ray Park of "X-Men" and "Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace") and tortured mental patient Ali (Faran Tahir of "Star Trek" and "Iron Man"), who knows about otherworldly force that is reaching out to him.

"Jinn" is a fun, family film that explores ideology never seen before on the big screen. Last weekend, the movie was screened to well-known and respected imams, who clapped at the end of the film and congratulated the producers on doing a good job at authentically telling audiences about jinns. 

"We made this film with the intention of creating a project that would make Muslims feel proud and not compromised," Ahmad said. "Though we did fill in the gaps with our imagination, we did a lot of research and were very careful not to make any missteps. This is no ordinary tale. We wanted created a film about good fighting evil and about people coming together to fight a common foe. This movie transcends the horror genre; it is a cool, action film."

A native of Michigan, Ahmad said the idea came to him at age 9 and said the concept for the whole idea may have come from jinn. Yes, you heard that right. There may be more to the film and the education of this inter-dimensional being than we know. 

"The reality is that the story of jinn also is a fresh and old concept," Ahmad said. "It's the best of both worlds. It's fresh to new audiences and appeals to an audience that has been waiting for a story about this for a while." 

However, beyond just being a fun movie, "Jinn" producers, who have poured millions into the project, said their ultimate goal is to create change.

"If you believe that there needs to be a change in the world about how minorities are depicted on the screen, then [seeing this movie] is the first step you can take to make that change," Ahmad said. "We are not doing this for money. We are doing this for the community."

These words may unfortunately ring true for a movie that is opening the same weekend as projected-blockbuster "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." However, if history is any kind of indicator, "Jinn" could be the perfect counterprogramming and sneak away with good numbers and a positive message for Muslims.

"It is important for us to create this type of content and to make these kinds of projects," Ahmad said. "We've seen the ramification the depiction it has on young people. We want them to be inspired to create this content, get involved in the media and find careers in the industry. This is the first time, we are seeing a hero on the screen that looks like us and shares our background." 

Filmed and produced in Michigan by Exxodus Pictures, the producers said they have a deep love for the state and the city of Detroit. Their intention was to shine a light on their home state in addition to telling an authentic tale.

"We filmed in Michigan because we want to help with the state's revival and the city's resurgence," said Shahid Syed, Partner & Executive Producer of Exxodus Pictures. "We received amazing support from Michigan, and the film has been welcomed with open arms"

The film crew said they were able to shoot in amazing places that others have not had access to before such as the Highland Park Ford Plant, the birthplace of the Model T; Turnip Rock in Port Austin, Michigan; and Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Monroe, Michigan.

"We are looking forward to celebrating the release of 'Jinn' with the people of Michigan," Ahmad said. "This weekend, we will be attending many screenings and enjoying the experience with the audience. This is an incredible opportunity for our community to say that our narrative is important, and we hope Muslims nationwide will mobilize. If you cannot support a movie that is made about us with the first line in the film being 'Bismillah,' then you can never complain again about not being counted." 

Exxodus has lofty goals for this weekend's release, saying that if just 10 percent of the American Muslim community made it to the theater, the industry would change overnight.

"It is imperative and our duty to mobilize as a group to watch this movie in the theater," Syed said. "On Monday morning when the box office tabulations come in, we want Hollywood and the Western world to take notice of the power of our community at the box office."

One thing is true: Religion is a hot commodity at the box office. From "Noah" to "God's Not Dead," Hollywood is taking notice of religious-based stores. It is now up to movie-goers to keep the momentum going and show that the box office might also include Muslims. 

Source: Marium F. Mohiuddin

Watching Anthony Bourdain in Palestine

I am a hardcore foodie, which means I love to eat. I was also born with Cerebral Palsy, which means I shake all the time�so cooking is not my thing, as I am banned from being around knives and fire. Those who cannot cook, watch, and I am obsessed with cooking shows. Forget Paula Dean; when it comes to on-air celebrity chefs no one makes my stomach go pitter-patter more than Chef Anthony Bourdain. He is absolutely fearless. He eats and smokes things I'd never have considered touching before I saw him do it first on No Reservations. No Reservations is no more, and the beautiful Bourdain has relocated to CNN. Parts Unknown, his new show now in its second season, is hands-down the best, most informative show on cable news. There is simply no competition, unlike on Bravo's Top Chef Masters where Chef Anthony happens to be my favorite judge.

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Female genital mutilation: 'Mothers need to say no'

For Samira, the very idea of this kind of mutilation is incomprehensible. Brought up in London, she was working as a model when she was approached by BBC3 to present a documentary about Somalia. Visiting the war-torn country, she met women who planned to have their daughters cut and saw a six-year-old girl who had been recently subjected to FGM. "I just didn't understand how a mother who had gone through this pain could have it done to her children. I don't blame the women, I blame the society that doesn't stop it."

Since the film came out last year, Samira has been touring schools withSave the Children to highlight issues facing Somalia. "One thing I have learned is that while people may say we are moving on, it still continues."

According to Forward, a leading UK charity that campaigns to end FGM, the practice takes place in many cultures and occurs in several different religious communities. However, mainstream spiritual leaders have denied that the practice stems from religion. Samira believes the desire to control women's sexuality lies behind it.

"I think women here are scared their daughters will become too westernised and not get married � that they will have boyfriends and go out, and this is why they have it done."

Yet the subject, she says, is rarely discussed. "I go into schools with a high number of Somali girls, and they always seem shocked that it is part of our history and culture. We need women to talk about their experiences, men to talk about their marital experiences, clerics to explain it is not linked to religion and doctors to talk about the problems it causes. Then things will change � when we discuss what FGM is really doing."

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Feminism a Good Fit for One 'Good Muslim Boy'

Much respect to this brother. 

Some are Muslim men like him, men with British passports and roots in Pakistan who can�t get their head around one of their own pointing the finger at forced marriages and honor crimes and �giving racists another stick to beat us with.� Others come from Britain�s far-right fringe and can�t get their head around a Muslim being a chief prosecutor for �their� queen and �their� country. They once wrote a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron, demanding that he fire and deport Mr. Afzal.

Mr. Afzal, 51, chuckles. �I was born in Birmingham, England, and I�m not going back there.�

One of 13 chief crown prosecutors in Britain, he oversees 100,000 prosecutions a year and manages 800 lawyers and paralegals in the prosecution service�s North West Area, the most populous after London. He was the first minority chief prosecutor ever appointed and remains the most senior Muslim lawyer in the country.

Mr. Afzal has prosecuted ordinary thieves, white-collar criminals and hooligans. But this fast-talking man with spiky salt-and-pepper hair and a slightly restless manner is also Britain�s national czar on violence against women. He has perhaps made his biggest mark in aggressively prosecuting crimes against women in minority communities.

Before Mr. Afzal came along, few in multicultural Britain talked openly about the 10,000 girls married off against their will every year, let alone the dozen or so murdered each year in the name of family honor. He has helped set up a national hot line for women at risk of forced marriage � something the U.S. government is currently talking to him about � and is working with the Home Office to criminalize the practice (a law is expected next spring). Last year, he prosecuted nine South Asian men for raping and trafficking white girls in the former mill town of Rochdale in a high-profile case that was branded a �wake-up call� by many in the community.

Human rights, he says, must always trump cultural rights: �There are problems in minority communities that can�t be taboo.�

Being a man, a practicing Muslim and the son of immigrants from the conservative tribal area in northwestern Pakistan might make him an unlikely feminist in the eyes of some. But that�s just what Mr. Afzal calls himself � and his gender, he says, is by far his biggest asset.

 

�I�m not the first person to take up this fight in Britain; I�m just the first man, and that makes it a lot easier,� he said.

Women�s rights campaigners have gladly welcomed Mr. Afzal into their sisterhood. Efua Dorkenoo, advocacy director on female genital mutilation for Equality Now, said male allies were �critical� for the success of gender equality campaigns, especially where abuses are cloaked in cultural terms. �When men like Afzal speak up about violence against women, it has much more resonance in Asian and African communities,� Ms. Dorkenoo said.

It was in 2004 that Mr. Afzal, a father of four, had his own wake-up call. A group of women came to see him. One told of a girl who had burned herself to death to avoid a forced marriage; she had been 17, the same age as his daughter is now. Another recounted how a woman had been on the run from her family for more than eight years after refusing to marry a man she didn�t know.

�I didn�t know this was happening in this country,� Mr. Afzal said. That same year, he organized a conference in London to learn more. Shortly after, he sat down with the police to create a national database of so-called honor crimes. �Before I knew it we had dozens and dozens of cases,� he said.

Two years later, he successfully prosecuted the cousin and brother of Samaira Nazir for her murder. She had wanted to marry someone her family objected to. They stabbed her 18 times in front of two infant nieces who were splattered with her blood.

It was one of the first occasions that an honor killing entered public consciousness.

In 2008, one of Mr. Afzal�s own relatives in Peshawar was killed by her husband�s family for demanding a divorce. But Mr. Afzal�s crusade for women�s rights is even more personal than that. Born a �brown boy� in middle England a year after his parents arrived in 1961, he, too, bears the scars of inequality. He was bullied and beaten at school often. His father, a caterer for the British, told him: �Get used to it.� And he did.

�I thought this was how it was, and I put up with it, and I think a lot of women feel the same about the abuse they suffer,� he said.

His work on gender equality often intersects with his efforts to be a bridge between white Britons and the South Asian community, particularly after suicide bombers attacked the London transport system on July 7, 2005, killing 52 and injuring nearly 800.

Mr. Afzal remembers speaking at London City Hall a few weeks later. The mood in the country was tense, Islamophobia on the rise. Mr. Afzal, then deputy chief prosecutor in London, had been asked to help engage the Muslim community, but his comments on gender-based violence irked some. A man stood up in the audience and said: �Nazir, why are you giving these racists another stick to beat us with?� His response: �The community should carry their own stick.�

He has long since stopped using Twitter because the abuse got to be too much. Following last year�s Rochdale case, a police guard was placed outside his house. But Mr. Afzal is not one to lose his spirit. �I�ve done my bit for multifaith engagement,� he likes to point out. �As a good Muslim boy, I�ve been married three times. First to an Irish Catholic, then to an Indian Hindu and then to a British Sikh.�

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