A film by director Parvez Sharma, called A Jihad for Love opened at the IFC Center in New York. The film – a documentary – includes interview subjects as he explores the countless repressed homosexuals in Arab countries, many of whom are considered monsters, and believed to be put to death even by family, friends,…
A controversial play looking addressing topics of sexuality including rape, circumcision, and homosexuality, has opened in Brussels. The play, entitled ‘The Veiled Monologues,’ was written by Dutch writer Adelheid Roosen and inspired by the American play, The Vagina Monologues. The Veiled Monologues draws on subjects of female sexuality and was developed from interviews with over…
A fear of misrepresentation and exotification of Muslims has sparked calls for Western filmmakers to halt projects about Islam and Muslims. Filmmakers such as Parvez Sharma and Ruhi Hamid, both cite the heightened interest in Islam post 9/11, and their frustration with stereotyped images, partial representations, and the lack of awareness of the complexities of…
