Ratnesh
“It was only at the age of 16 that I decided that there was something wrong in me” says Muhsin, the son of an Imam. At the age 20 he went to Pakistan to study the Koran, and began feeling guilty. Mushin says “At that time I thought, ‘Okay this is it. This is what God thinks of me, so why am I still adhering to Islam when there’s no space for me?’”
In A Jihad for Love, director Parvez Sharma looks at the attitudes of the Muslim community towards homosexuality through brief sketches about those whose pursuit of love has brought them incredible suffering, pain, loneliness, and anger. In this documentary, gay and lesbian Muslims struggle to reconcile their sexual orientation to their devotion to Allah and their commitment to their faith.
The film captures numerous compelling stories of the struggle among Muslim homosexuals for the right to be accepted, or in some cases, to live. Mazen, an Egyptian, was arrested in a raid of a gay disco and then raped while in prison. Says Mazen “I’m sure God has a reason for all that has happened to me. I know that He is always with me.” Now, he has his own apartment, a number of good friends, and a chance to belly-dance in a local restaurant. Meet Maryam, a lesbian living in Paris, who tries to keep alive her relationship with Maha who lives in Cairo.
There are also some Muslim gay men who have fled Iran and settled in Paris where they hope to gain passage to Canada. The final section of the film introduces the Sufis, whose appreciation of Allah’s love and mercy is very different from the judging Allah of the more orthodox Wahabbi believers.
The documentary was filmed in 12 countries and in 9 languages, over a six-year period. The film reminds us that in Arabic, jihad means ‘struggle’ not ‘holy war’. A documentary not to be missed.
