A Jihad for Love
Fourteen centuries after the revelation of the holy Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad, Islam today is the world's second largest and fastest growing religion. Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma travels the many worlds of this dynamic faith, discovering the stories of its most unlikely storytellers: lesbian and gay Muslims.
Produced by Sandi DuBowski (Trembling Before G-d) and Sharma, A Jihad for Love was filmed in 12 countries and 9 languages and comes from the heart of Islam. Looking beyond a hostile and war-torn present, it reclaims the Islamic concept of a greater Jihad, whose true meaning is akin to 'an inner struggle' or 'to strive in the path of God' - allowing its remarkable subjects to move beyond the narrow concept of Jihad as holy war.
Running Time
82 mins
Year
2008
Kanopy ID
1122716
Filmmakers
Languages
Subjects
Show More
Related videos
A Sinner in Mecca - Challenging Faith in the Face of Adversity
For a gay filmmaker, filming in Saudi Arabia presents two serious challenges: filming is forbidden in the country and homosexuality is punishable by death. For filmmaker Parvez Sharma, however, these were risks he had to assume as he embarked on his Hajj pilgrimage, a journey considered the greatest accomplishment and…
The Abominable Crime - Homophobia in Jamaica
Born into a homophobic society, what are you willing to sacrifice to survive?
THE ABOMINABLE CRIME explores the religious-based culture of homophobia in Jamaica through the eyes of gay Jamaicans forced to choose between their homeland and their lives. Maurice, Jamaica's leading human-rights activist, is outed after filing a lawsuit…
God Loves Uganda
In GOD LOVES UGANDA, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams (Music by Prudence) explores the role of the American Evangelical movement in fueling Uganda's terrifying turn towards biblical law and the proposed death penalty for homosexuality. Thanks to charismatic religious leaders and a well-financed campaign, these draconian new laws and…
Visible Silence - The Unspoken Lives of Thai Tomboys, Ladies and Lesbians
A rare glimpse into the unspoken lives of Thai toms, dees and lesbians striving for recognition, authenticity, and acceptance in a traditional Buddhist society. It is an intimate story of self and family, love and sexuality, and self-determination where conformity is prized.
VISIBLE SILENCE highlights the experience of masculine women…
Fish Out of Water
What does the Bible really say about being gay?
Inspired by the experience of coming out as a lesbian to her sorority sisters during her senior year at Vanderbilt, filmmaker Ky Dickens explores the Biblical passages used to condemn homosexuality in this informative yet entertaining documentary. Interweaving whimsical animation with…
Tales of the Waria
Indonesia is home to the world's largest Muslim population. It is also home to the "warias," a community of biological men who live openly as women. In this eye-opening documentary, four warias search for romance and intimacy. They encounter a host of obstacles-- family pressures, economic burdens, aging-- but strive…
Rent Boys
Berlin stories behind sex for money. Despised, stigmatised and suppressed to the fringe of society - this is the reality young, male prostitutes face in Berlin. Most of the hustlers are immigrants, a lot of them act out of necessity. Rosa von Praunheim acompanies the young adults at their work…
City of Borders
City of Borders provides an original view of the vibrant underground community at Jerusalem's only gay bar where people of opposing nationalities and religions create an unexpected island of peace in a land divided by war and hate. This powerful and provocative documentary intimately portrays the daily lives of five…
Undressing Israel - Gay Men in the Promised Land
When many people think of Israel, it is often in terms of modern war or ancient religion. But there is much more to the Jewish state then missiles and prayers. In his debut as a documentary filmmaker, adult-film entrepreneur and political columnist Michael Lucas examines a side of Israel that…
Out & Around - On the Not-So-Straight Journey Towards Equality
When Jennifer Chang and Lisa Dazols first fell in love, they vowed to follow a life of adventure. The couple had no idea that their promise would lead them to leave their 9-5 jobs, pick up a video camera, and travel to fifteen countries through Asia, Africa and South America…
I Just Wanted to be Somebody
What do the religious right and the gay liberation movement have in common? Both were fortified by the efforts of one woman - Anita Bryant. Part document and part poem, I Just Wanted to Be Somebody brings us back to the late 1970's and reflects on Bryant's life and the…
Dangerous Living - Coming Out in the Developing World
Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World is the first documentary to deeply explore the lives of gay and lesbian people in non-western cultures. Traveling to five different continents, we hear the heartbreaking and triumphant stories of gays and lesbians from Egypt, Honduras, Kenya, Thailand and elsewhere, where most…
Comments (1)
This film offers numerous first-hand accounts and insights about what it is like to be a gay man or lesbian woman in Islam. In my opinion, the best aspect of the film is the number of people featured. As opposed to one hour-long case study like some documentaries, this one features several, ...Read more
This film offers numerous first-hand accounts and insights about what it is like to be a gay man or lesbian woman in Islam. In my opinion, the best aspect of the film is the number of people featured. As opposed to one hour-long case study like some documentaries, this one features several, so that different opinions, solutions, and coping stories are offered. The film can be very heartbreaking and emotional, as you watch families become separated and shamed for the sexual orientation of its members.
Read less