Last Monday, I watched an interesting film on TV called American East. Simultaneously, the world was abuzz with the news of Osama Bin Laden’s alleged death at the hands of American soldiers. Now… I do not have a head for politics at all, and don’t usually follow political news, but this concerned more than just politics! It concerned a Muslim brother who either went off the Straight Path and became a terrorist who behaved Unislamically in many ways – or a majorly misunderstood jihad fighter. Personally I have not taken any side; I leave Bin Laden in the Hands of Allah (swt), as He alone can judge his thoughts and heart. When I heard he had been killed I was neither glad nor sad. But I was certainly curious to find out more and so I followed the news and radio discussions.
Both the film American East, and the death of Bin Laden, remind me of the widespread association in the West, of Islam with terrorists. It reminds me how Islam is still so misunderstood by the West. As a revert it can be really daunting to hear your new Faith being (falsely) associated with terrorism! And yet, I am also filled with hope that Islam will finally be understood by those curious to know the truth. When 9/11 happened, Muslims in the US
Back then, I was in senior High school far from the action, being here in SA. Too immersed in my own life and my art, which was my reason for living back then, as well as entering a depression when the emptiness of my own existence came to surface, I did not take much notice of the acts of terrorism, but, nevertheless, it did shock me. I do remember that I never believed Islam was to blame. I refused to believe that Muslims were all terrorists, and got distressed when it was suggested. I don’t ever remember being an “Islamophobe” or anti-Muslim at all. Islam was something fascinating, yet still distant in my mind…
Over the years when I saw yet another suicide bombing in Baghdad or London Middle East grew, I felt sad that this beautiful part of the world was constantly being torn to pieces. As I came to be more religious, my interest in Islam grew, despite all the bad things happening in the Middle East , and I grew in sympathy with its suffering people. I believed that the Middle East had something to contribute to the world, and I loved their culture, as I still do.
In the film American East, the main theme concerns the relationships between people from different cultures, especially the West with the Arabs, and Arabs with Jews. The main character is Mustafar, a devout Egyptian Muslim who is mistaken for a terrorist when he shouts out “Muhammad!” looking for his son in the airport. He is arrested and the FBI interrogate him. Among the other characters who all struggle with different issues around the theme of misunderstanding and being misunderstood, there is Omar, a young Egyptian man who aspires to be an actor, but only gets the role of a terrorist in films, to his frustration. Also featured are Sam, a Jew who partners with Mustafar to open up a restaurant, and Mustafar’s eldest daughter, a nurse, whom he betrothes to his Egyptian cousin Sabir. She expresses her opposition to get married to this man she doesn’t know, and gets involved with an American doctor. Then there is Muhammad, Mustafar’s young son who struggles with his Muslim faith. Another character, a young man dressed as a rapper, reveals his deep anger over those who persecute and misunderstand the Arabs, and then there is an Iraqi Christian man, who is an example of peace. These two are quite a contrast to each other! I also loved the “Da’wah” scene with Mustafar’s youngest daughter Layla and her friend sitting together, talking about Islam.
The FBI interrogate Mustafar, thinking he may be sending money to a terrorist organisation, and when they discover he was sending money to Egypt to reclaim his land, they come to understand him better. (This shows how understanding each other takes away the fear.) Sam, the Jewish partner sets such a wonderful example, showing how Jews and Arabs can work and live together in peace. His family are first against him working with an Arab, and yet he wins them over. Mustafar’s eldest daughter gets involved with the doctor, before coming to understand why her father betrothed her to his cousin, and she reconciles with him. Muhammad comes to love his Muslim identity, and the angry young man also becomes more understanding in the end. It doesn’t end so well for Omar, yet his character is important, as it reveals how some who are misunderstood can be driven to commit acts of violence and terrorism…
This film teaches us an important lesson: for people to work towards understanding each other in a global culture of fear. And as Bin Laden’s death is further investigated, I take to heart the advice given by a sheikh on a radio program: we as Muslims (and non-Muslims, too) must educate ourselves in what Islam truly teaches, and come to understand the motives and fears of those different from us. With this in mind, I seek to delve into the tangled thickets, trying to discover the minds behind all the mess in the world.
I truly believe that there is hope behind all of these events… hope that in coming to learn more about what Islam is, there will be yet more reversions – and hope that in coming to learn more about other people’s fears, we could work towards living in mutual peace. It will take courage, but it is only through knowledge and understanding that the Truth will shine out from the debris of error, and peace reign on earth. As Muslims we submit to Allah Who is the True One – Al-Haqq. If we remain on this path of Truth we need not fear of going astray.
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