A lot of thought and preparation has gone into the exhibit which originated in Dubai. The highlights of the exhibit were the sections about Muslim Explorers, Literature and the inventions. The most fascinating being the Elephant Water Clock. If you have young children, make sure to allow enough time to visit the main museum as there may not be as much to engage them in the exhibit which is more for young adults and adults.

You can get a 25%  MCA discount by entering the code “mca” to buy the tickets. There are also holiday hours, which are here for the Thanksgiving weekend and then later.

Attendance at the exhibit has been low, and if enough people don’t attend the exhibit will be cut short. Please attend, invite other friends, neighbors and coworkers. It’s a great way to learn and share about the rich Muslim culture and heritage, plus its impact on the world.

Click on Details for the exhibit.
 

This was this an amazing feat, considering that it had to cover the bill of materials, design, and to make it profitable. The concluding statement of the IIT univeristy (think MIT) directors statement, of not expecting others to solve India’s problems, and not wanting recruiters to come near their campus is also mind blowing. The director wants their graduates to be the next CEOs, and entrepreneurs, and is a small peak into the genius of the Indian mind.

In India and America, two peas in a pod, compares the Indian campaign to stop corruption versus the “Occupy Wall Street” movement. The article shows the importance of having focus and clarity of goals. Both individually and collectively as a community, and nations if we can apply these principles, we can move mountains.

Courtesy of AFF

at the Castro Theater in San Francisco. The festival plays out until the 23rd at four venues, including San Francisco, Berkeley, San Jose, and Los Angeles. Egyptian Maidens played to a full house, and took the audience through its dramatic tension and humor, without a pause. You can read the review here.
The 15th Arab Film Festival, continues to raise the bar, with the leadership of its Executive Director, Michel Shahadeh and his small team. You don’t have to be an Arab to enjoy the films. They are all subtitled and allow many of us who don’t come from that culture to get another point of view and see some wonderful films. With the Arab Spring, creating a political revolution, the film line up, is mirroring the cultural revolution that is going hand in hand with this titanic shift in the Arab world. For more details please check out the following link.

“Language of the Enemy” (also titled “A House Divided”)

follows Romi Meir, an American from Boston who travels to Israel for his father’s funeral. While there he is recruited to do reconnaissance for Israeli Intelligence because he speaks Arabic. However, in the process he gets involved with a Palestinian doctor, Joleh Khalid with whom he falls in love. The film follows a Romeo and Juliet theme, where Joleh’s family and the Palestinian who wants to marry her do everything they can to stop them. “David & Fatima” is a love story between an Israeli-Jew, David, and Fatima, a young Palestinian-Muslim woman. It also is a retelling of the classic Romeo and Juliet scenario of two lovers whose families and environment are totally opposed to their union. The character portrayal is fine, but falls short in the narrative. You can guess the ending.

There are however, some major flaws with these films and when something is not authentic or believable, it takes the audience out of the picture. What are some of these examples? When people pray, but not like Muslims it is a bit of a throwback to a Muslim audience. Muslims would never speak in a derogatory manner about any Prophet. Although some Israeli-Arabs may live comfortable lives, the vast majority who live in the occupied territories have difficult lives which in no way compares to the life of a majority of Israelis. The occupier and occupied are not peers, and to show them as such is not very believable. If a soldier is pointing a gun at you at a checkpoint, unless you’re insane you are unlikely to provoke them, but this happens in these films. Conversely there is a stone throwing incidence where young boys are throwing stones at armed soldiers, who also have a tank. The restraint displayed by the Israelis in the film is rarely shown in real life, where live ammunition is many times returned. There are many children and civilians who have been killed by the armed forces, some while throwing stones and other as just innocent bystanders.  Related to this the daily hardships of passing through multiple checkpoints is never shown. It is these kinds of things that pent up the anger and frustration that lead to conflict.

The dialogue is many times didactic, and trying to convey feelings through cliché lines becomes tiring and unfortunately adds nothing to help provide new insights into an age old conflict. While watching the credits of both films, one thing that stood out was the lack of Arab and Muslim talent and production input.

The most refreshing point of view is given in “Miral.” This is made by Julian Schnabel who previously made the well known “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.” The film is adapted from the novel of the same name and follows the story of four women, from the formation of Israel in 1947 through the Intifada, Oslo and contemporary times.

The lead role of the character Miral is played by Freida Pinto. The story telling is not conventional, and although the film got a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, it was slammed by most of the critics and did not get mainstream U.S. theatrical release.  I will avoid getting into the plot of the film. The DVD has a lot of bonus information and I watched it with director’s commentary. To his credit Julian Schnabel, has tried to be as authentic as he could, and give a contrarian point of view from the American-Israeli viewpoint which has dominated the discourse. It is not an easy film to follow due to the four stories that are contained in it. Most of the casting is good. Freida Pinto of “Slumdog Millionaire” fame however, was not very believable as a Palestinian girl. No one film can cover the time or the complexity of what has happened in the space of almost two hours. Miral tries to give a small expose, and that is a great start.

The world of film can provide another narrative to political discourse. One that can provide new insights and understanding that can help kick-start the dialogue between not only Palestinians and Israelis but also Americans who influence that region. By selecting some element of the conflict and providing depth, films like Miral can expose the audience to new insights.

“Big deal” you may say, another award to a high-profile wealthy individual. The media has given a lot of coverage to people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, who are giving away most of their wealth for the common good of society. This is highly commendable.

As I read the article, I was amazed at how Jeff Skoll, who was the first president of eBay had used his wealth to setup organizations and foundations for bringing social change. I won’t enumerate them all, but just his work with Participant Media, which is an independent film studio, intrigued me.
Besides my day job in tech., my passion is film. In a good week I can scan 20 to 50 DVDs, looking for inspiration, to write a review on my site MyFavoriteReview.com. When I am not looking to review, I am looking for great narratives, direction, or editing from which I can learn and apply in the no-budget films that I make.
With the exception of a couple of genres, I look at films from Hollywood to Bollywood and beyond in the independent arena. What amazes me is how the vast majority of films can be funded and made, seeing they are not the worth the time it takes to watch them. It is mind-blowing how much time and money is used to make, distribute and consume these films. They are the equivalent of fast food, and fizzy drinks with all the calories and no nutrition. A good film in my mind doesn’t have to be a box-office hit, just something that has a redeeming value. It could be entertaining, educational, and or inspiring.

However, when I spend all this effort looking for these gems, I question my own use of time. That is when I get my spark. Skoll’s inspiration was to use the power of storytelling to address pressing societal problems. “Film is a powerful way to change behavior,” Skoll said. “It gives voice to the voiceless, it empowers people, and it connects them.”
Thank you Mr. Skoll for giving me validation for what I do, even if its effect is a fraction of what billionaires like him can do. Which got me thinking, what are the Muslim billionaires up to? I browsed the Forbes top 500 Billionaires and found 19 Muslim names. Of course this is not a comprehensive analysis, but the list shows the net worth of these people and their passion in giving.

Of all the names only one stood out, number 36 on the list, Azim Premji, the founder of Indian giant WiPro at $16.8 Billion. He is one of Asia’s biggest donors and has a foundation that helps to improve state-run elementary schools in India. At a cursory level, I am not saying that some of the others don’t give, but nothing stood out in their profiles.

There are many others inspiring Muslims who may never make it to the Forbes list. Two that come to mind are Mohammad Yunus, founder of Grameen bank, “banker to the poor” and Abdul Sattar Edhi, the founder of Edhi Foundation who is doing phenomenal social work in Pakistan. As the month of giving and generosity, Ramadan approaches, it is high time that Muslims who have the ability to give besides their poor due, to reach out and see what they can give and do to help their brother and sisters in humanity. You don’t have to be a billionaire to make a difference, but you too can give hope to the hopeless and a voice to the voiceless.

SFIFF: Photo credit Tommy Lau

For film buffs this may not be news, but for those who are intrigued by independent cinema with a view of what is going on globally this is one event that you should take advantage of. Besides showing films, the festival has major luminaries from the film world who will be coming to talk and in other cases to receive awards. Prior years directors have included Francis Ford Coppola, Spike Lee, Clint Eastwood, Ousmane Sembene and many others.

Considering all the conflict in the mid-east and in Muslim lands, the following films caught my attention. Autumn, follows the story of a young man in his violence –ridden home of Kashmir. Incedines, is an Academy Award nominated, film where Canadian twins travel to the mid-East to find their family roots. The Light Thief, follows an electrician in the former Central Soviet state of Kyrgyzstan as he follows his dreams of generating wind energy, but having to deal with the political injustices there. The Green Wave, is a documentary covering the anti-government revolt that took place in Iran in 2009.

I love themes with children, as they bring out the innocence and realities that many times as adults we cannot confront. Chantrapas, The Colors of the Mountain, and Hands Up, again are films that are captivating.

Pink Saris, is an intriguing documentary film about a group who defend the rights of untouchable women in India.

Most of us will probably never make it to Sundance, Venice, Cannes, Berlin or Toronto, which are the grand-slams of film festivals. We are very fortunate in the bay area to have a festival of this caliber. Granted as SFiFF is in San Francisco, it is easier for people to get there who are residents but with a little planning anyone from the bay area can make it there from using BART, Caltrans, to driving up. For more details check out the program guide at http://fest11.sffs.org/

Imam Zaid Shakir

JM I understand Muslims are going through a crisis but help us understand this dichotomy of Muslim countries being such large offenders with respect to Human Trafficking?

ZS The problem is not unique to the Muslim world. It is a major problem here in the US with agricultural slavery, and very sizeable sex trafficking from Eastern Europe.

JM Granted, that it is an issue in those and other regions. If you can help put a perspective on why its happening in very conservative Muslim countries, like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Malaysia, and more?

ZS Muslims have a blind side, they may understand Islam just from a legal standpoint, for example Salah, Zakah. But they have been divorced from the ethical side of Islam and that is why we have an ethical crisis.

JM Was there something that triggered this crisis?

ZS It has developed over time, with an over-emphasis on law. When you have excessive legalism, and following the letter of the law, people think if they are paying the zakah and dealing with business etc.  they are a good Muslim.

JM So we’re lacking spirituality?

ZS Well if you get the opposite reaction, the desire to be spiritual and do zikr, and reflect only on the words, do the night prayers that can lead to another problem, being divorced from morality.

JM So how do we get the complete picture?

ZS For Islam and Muslims to be viable they need three things. The first is the legal, second spiritual and the third the moralistic aspect, for example perfect good character. We need to emphasize and teach all three. The Quran encapsulates this with the following verse: “Verily, As-Salat (prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha (immorality) and Al-Munkar (wrongdoing), and the remembering of Allah is greater indeed. And Allah knows what you do (29:45)”

JM I know this is stretch, but if you could address the victims, their families, and the criminals, it would be educational to hear what your message would be. Starting with victims, who are caught in this web of debt bondage, coercion?

ZS When one is oppressed, there is no obligation to the oppressor. For example even if a pimp paid money to buy the victim, that doesn’t oblige the victim to payback for something that is unlawful.

JM For some victims, they find it difficult to return due to the sense of shame and loss of honor, how can they be helped?

ZS The community has to be supportive. For example during the war in Bosnia, the Ulama gave a declaration to the women who had been put into Serb rape camps and become pregnant, not to have abortions. They could raise their babies as Muslims.

JM Any words of solace for the victims?

ZS Let them know that they have with Allah a great position. Allah wouldn’t allow them to suffer without compensation.

JM There are many stories about parents who have sold their children, especially girls due to poverty.

ZS That is a major sin. It happens in places like India. Let them know they are putting their salvation in jeopardy. The girls are absolved from any blame.

JM What about the people who commit these crimes, any warning for them?

ZS They are violating every moral standard and human rights convention. As Muslims, you are jeopardizing your soul.

JM Recently I heard that in the UK, Muslims of Pakistani descent had forced young English girls some as young as 13 into prostitution rings by raping them and got them hooked on drugs and alcohol. There has been an uproar and anger at the Muslim community there. What is our responsibility as a community to prevent things like this?

ZS There is a hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) which says that Shaitan flows in the human body like the blood flowing in a man’s veins. Actions like these have repercussions. We can’t be a bunch of moralists, these are empty thugs. We have to speak out in the strongest terms.

JM JazakAllahkher for covering this new ground for us. Any parting thoughts?

ZS: We are all Ambassadors of Islam, if we say “La Ilaha Illalalah… (There is no God but Allah…).” We need to reflect on our actions.

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” says the declaration yet there are so many millions of people who do not enjoy this God given right. The violation of human rights shows its ugly face in discrimination across race, color, gender, language, religion, political opinion, national or social origin, disability, property, birth or other status.

Rather than sound abstract I’d like to touch upon just a few of the many hot button issues going on around the world. As Americans we take for granted the right of free speech and dissension. According to legal experts WikiLeaks hasn’t broken any laws, yet it’s being branded as a terrorist organization. The site is partnering with known and trusted media entities like the New York Times and Guardian to reveal what they see as non-classified information.

Yet governments and corporations have come together to intimidate WikiLeaks and its founder. They have tried to silence them, and the right of world citizens to know what their governments do and say behind closed doors.

Next comes the “war on terror”, even with Obama as President, many of us hoped for change, but the detentions at Guantanamo to other secret renditions continue. The illegal and immoral wars of Iraq and Afghanistan continue with incredible amounts of human suffering. The political hotspots continue to spiral downwards from the Besieged Palestinians in Gaza to sub-Saharan Africa, there is no peace or jutice in sight.

Closer to home while the US outsources jobs and technology to India and China, select Muslim countries are outsourced torture. Sorry I mean “enhanced interrogation” techniques. But all problems don’t lie with us and the West. Whether they be democracies or dictatorships from India to China, Singapore to Venezuela, many countries have improved their lot. Sadly the majority of Muslim countries as still stuck in the past. From feudalism to perpetuating dictatorships, there are many sources of the problem.

Getting back to Human Rights, did you know Muslim countries lead in human trafficking. That’s not a desirable number one position. That of the  17 countries that were given the “Tier 3″ listing reserved for the worst offenders, nine were Muslim countries or countries with a large Muslim population. Think about it. Those or our sisters and daughters being sold, humiliated, and exploited for petty or huge financial gains. Islam and its Prophet (PBUH) gave us human rights over 1400 years ago, yet collectively we have lost that humanity. I for my part just to build awareness created a site, Muslims Against Human Trafficking and a video

. Check it out. Of course we need to respect and honor human rights every day, this is just a small reminder. If you are not able to do anything else just share this with others.

JM Share with us a little about growing up and at what point you started wearing hijab?

HK I was born in New York and from the age of two grew up in Foster City, California. My dad is a scientist and mother a home-maker. I attended public school and I started wearing the hijab when I was in Kindergarten.

JM What inspired you at such a young age to wear hijab?

HK I wanted to be like my mom. She was wearing it and although I didn’t fully understand what it symbolized it was very natural.

JM At what point were you fully aware of its meaning?

HK Probably when I was around 16 or 17 and that is when I started wearing it “full time”, not just school but anywhere I went.

JM So at any point did anyone in school or elsewhere give you a hard time?

HK Actually people all along were very supportive. In high school I would match my hijab to my clothes, but no one treated me differently, even though I was for most of this period the only hijabi.

JM Were other kids curious or ask you strange or funny questions?

HK Sure, like how long is your hair, what color is it, how is styled?

JM How about can you shower or do you have to keep it on?

HK (Laughs)

JM You then went on to college. How was that experience?

HK There were more hijabis in community college and now at UC Davis there is a strong Muslim Students Association, so I feel right at home.

JM Let’s talk about what happened at work, when did you start and what happened?

HK I started work in October 2009 in Hollister. The store manager had seen my hijab and asked me to make sure it conformed to one of the company colors, white navy or gray. Everything was fine, until one day the District manager showed up in February, 2010. It was a cordial meeting, but the next day he asked me to talk to someone from Abercrombie & Fitch’s corporate HR.

JM So all through this you don’t know where this is going?

HK No hints, I thought maybe they want to share some new policy. The HR person told me that the hijab violated the companies dress code and in order to work there I would have to remove it. I told her it was part of my faith. I was told my name was being taken off the roster. A few days later it was followed by another call telling me, I was no longer welcome.

JM So I know CAIR took on your case and there was a lot of media interest in your story. Zahra Billoo, CAIR’s bay area Executive Director mentioned she was concerned for you, but was very impressed at your courage and in the way you handled the whole event. Any thoughts?

HK It was a big deal for me, but I didn’t know that so many people were taking notice. Yes on day one, I had four interviews. They just wanted to hear my story and were very supportive.

JM I saw online there were several negative comments from people like, go back to you country, how did you feel about that?

HK They don’t realize I am American born. I have nowhere to go back to. Even if you’re an immigrant you have the right to live here. This is my country as much as it is theirs.

JM It must have been hard dealing with this emotionally?

HK Actually other than those anonymous postings even online people of all faiths and backgrounds were very supportive. They were saying things like, I can’t believe they did that or I am not going to shop there. More than half of these people including on Facebook were people I hadn’t known.

JM I see courage and pride in you in being an American-Muslim. What does being American-Muslim mean to you?

HK It means assimilating my religion into American culture without giving up my beliefs.

JM So how does that play out?

HK For example in the way I dress, which is very conservative. I do the typical teenager things, but not everything.

JM For example?

HK I didn’t attend the high school dance. It is not something I was comfortable with. It’s about finding a balance. You don’t leave behind your faith just to assimilate.

JM So how has this experience changed you and what are your plans for the future?

HK I want to stay true to my self. You can’t change yourself for anybody. I am doing Political Science now as a Junior and my plan is to (God-willing) attend law school.

JM Last question and hopefully on a lighter subject what do you like to do when you’re not going to school?

HK I like to learn about Islam, Hadith sayings of the Prophet, and his life. I like to hang out with my friends and watch movies.

JM OK last last question, as I’m a movie buff, what kind of movies?

HK Other than just romantic comedies, I’m really excited that the latest Harry Potter is coming out.

JM Go Harry and thank you.

Masquerades

The opening night feature began with a welcome from the films Director the Arabic-French speaking Lyès Salem. The story follows Mounir a man who lives with his wife, son, and sister in a small Algerian village. Mounir is cocky and self assured, even though he appears to have no education or future other than his job of being a gardener for a village chieftain. His wife and sister are headstrong women, who turn male chauvinism on its head. The sister Rym is narcoleptic and falls asleep anytime anywhere. She is also in love with Mounir’s best friend, but they keep their love a secret. One drunken night Mounir boasts to the village that his sister is going to marry a rich foreigner. The story is passed on from villager to villager and spiced up as it is passed along. People start treating Mounir as a VIP and his ego swells beyond all proportions, and that is about all I will say about the plot.

I have seen many comedies and satire but nothing could have prepared me for the pleasant surprise in this film. I don’t understand Arabic, but the physical comedy along with the subtitles left no gaps to communicate the humor. The audience including myself laughed hysterically throughout the film.  A tight script, a believable cast, great filming, editing, and score all add up to a film whose sum is greater than the parts. Why, I will venture out and say this has to be one of my all time favorite films, and there aren’t that many of them.

Besides the humor the film makes social commentary without being in your face. From celebrities, to narcolepsy, love to marriage, and gender roles, this film touches on many hot buttons. Through slap-stick comedy the subjects of unemployment, corruption, and male chauvinism are deftly addressed.

The Director did a nice Q&A after the film and his comments were thoughtful and even inspiring. I was shocked to learn that the lead character Mounir was none other than the Director himself. I know acting is acting, but I just could not juxtapose the two. As I walked the ten or so blocks back to the BART station and on my ride back to Fremont, I pondered about the film and the festival. In a world where Arabs and Muslims have been relegated to news about extremism and terrorism, the festival for me brings a sense of joy and hope. The coming together of not only Christian, Muslims, Americans, and Arabs, but that small microcosm that we are all a part of. If you live in San Francisco, Berkeley, San Jose, or Los Angeles, take the time to visit the festival. This is one take you don’t want to miss.  For more information visit the AFF website at arabfilmfestival.org