Comments on: Jihad For Love

By: Parvez Sharma

Parvez Sharma — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:45:56 +0000

Dear Sepoy:
Thanks for an excellent post. Please continue to visit Huff and also my newly formed blog at http://www.ajihadforlove.blogspot.com
Re: Sahar’s comment-
I invite you all to watch the film and only then form opinion and/or judgement about it.
To say a film will essentialize or “pathologize” ‘Islam’ without seeing it (films being a visual medium) serves no one.
Please join our mailing list to know when the film is coming to a theater or film festival near you.
Regards and Salam
Parvez

By: Sahar

Sahar — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 15:25:12 +0000

I’m not sure “Jihad for Love” is the great hope for queer Muslims we’re looking for. It’s a film made basically for the West. The major problem is in the premise - why make a film about queer Muslims in the first place? And the name “jihad” evokes only negative connotations in the West and I don’t think is helpful. Maybe this film will be useful, but I fear it might end up having the same impact as Irshad Manji’s work, which is to say that it might essentialize and pathologize “Islam” (in the broadest use of the term) for being irredeemably oppressive.

By: Sin

Sin — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 06:38:19 +0000

I’m blushing. A lot, seriously. But I most certainly do owe you a post on hijras, and I will write one veddy veddy soon. Promise.