Religion Dispatches carried an interesting piece on how films can help dispel religious bias against Islam, arguing that if you do not have an opportunity to meet 'real-life' Muslims, maybe they will soon feature in a theatre near you.The most effective way to counter a prejudice is to know someone about whom the prejudice is supposed to apply. Those who personally know Muslims are far less likely to have negative thoughts and feelings about Muslims — but in a country of now almost 310 million Americans and only several million Muslims, this advice remains wishful. Add to it that Muslims, unhelpfully, are not distributed evenly across the country [...] what more can be done?
The next best thing to a living, breathing Muslim is an approximation of one. That is, the silver screen (had you said robots, I’d counter: Muslims will be the last people on Earth to come up with robots). Why not? Movies explore the lives and experiences of Muslims in a format that can be watched.
Read on, as Haroon Moghul insisted you must consider yourself uncultured if you do not know his selection of films discussed here.
