Though Islam is the religion of one, Muslims are a people of many - many triumphs, problems, cultures and nationalities. And while the holy Qu’ran, five pillars of Islam and Hadith(s) (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) remain a constant for Muslims the world over, religious interpretation beyond them is the starting point for a global discussion on what it means to be Muslim.

It is a discussion fraught with varying opinions, scholarly debate and personal beliefs. It is a discussion brought into focus by the events of September 11^th. Yet though Islam is touted as the fast-growing religion in the world, Muslims themselves are still viewed with mistrust and misconceptions, according to many U.S. opinion polls. Now a new documentary, which airs Thursday evening, seeks to address those misconceptions.

“Muslims”, a two-hour documentary produced by Frontline (a news program of PBS) and the Independent Production Fund investigates the “different faces of Islam’s worldwide resurgence.” The program visits six countries - Iran, Nigeria, Egypt, Malaysia, Turkey and the United States - to tell the stories of Muslims from all walks of life and how they interpret their faith.

It is an impressive piece of television, sweeping the world to highlight a number of issues debated by Muslims who struggle to live Islam the best way they believe. Yet to view the program as a lesson on Islam is false. It is the lessons of different Muslims, or as producer Graham Judd says, “Within the story of 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, this is the story of 12 of them.”

Judd cautions Muslim viewers, especially, to be patient with the documentary. “This is not meant to be a definitive body of work on Islam. We wanted to show how different Muslims around the world live their lives as a way for the Western world to better understand their struggles. This is meant to be a start.”

The documentary, which was prescreened in New York Tuesday evening as part of the Museum of Television and Radio’s 2002 Television Documentary Festival, opens with traditional images of Muslims praying and wearing the hijab (female headscarf). Egypt is the first country visited, with a focus on Sheik Abdul Mauwith, an Islamic scholar and member of Al Azhar’s Fatwa committee.

Mauwith issues fatwa(s) (formal religious opinions) based on Shariah (Islamic) law. He advises Muslims to follow a conservative Islamic path. From there the importance of Shariah is followed across Nigeria, Iran, Turkey and Malaysia, where other Muslims give their opinions on how they interpret Shariah and how those interpretations affect their political, economic and social lives.

In Malaysia, viewers are introduced to Harlina Siraj, an obstetrician/gynecologist who manages a busy practice along with her family life and religious obligations. She is the vision of a modern Muslim woman - religious, strong, family and career-oriented. She doesn’t feel oppressed at all.

“Liberated?” she says, “Well, I’ve been born a free person.”

Her story is contrasted with another Malaysian woman who has struggled for more than seven years to obtain a divorce under Shariah law after her husband beat her and took another wife. Muslim activist Zainah Anwar, who advises the woman, says the problem lies not in Islam, but in interpretation.

“We found that it is not Islam that discriminates against women,” Anwar says in the documentary. “It is not the verses in the Qu’ran, it is the way that these verses have been interpreted by men, living in patriarchal societies who wish to maintain their dominance and their superiority and control over women.”

In Iran, the only country to have overthrown a modern government in favor of Islamic law, many people struggle with the country’s sense of revolution. Now some wonder if the country has made a success of its revolution.

“One could argue that we haven't been all that successful in bringing to life what we wanted - economic well-being and a sense of community, a sense of belonging,” says Hadi Semati, a professor of political science at Tehran University and an adviser to Iran’s President Khatami.

“Muslims” then moves on to Turkey, which is the opposite of Iran. It’s a country that has gone from an Islamic government to a secular one that does all it can to clamp down on Muslims. The country’s controversial headscarf ban has become the crux of its problems, pitting young Muslim women just wanting to peacefully live their lives against those who believe the headscarf is the stepping-stone to so-called “fundamental” behavior.

And finally the documentary lands in the United States where a “reassertion of [Muslim-American] identity has led to confrontations with other ethnic and religious groups - particularly since September 11.” For these Muslims, the question of Shariah interpretation is on the backburner in favor of balancing strong faith with daily life in America.

In Bridgeview, Illinois where Muslims faced prejudice when they tried to purchase an abandoned church to convert into a mosque, a court-sanctioned interfaith dialogue has helped lessen the fog between the communities. As one Muslim there eloquently says, the (Christian) Lord’s Prayer is “Islam in a capsule. The only difference is that we put all our emphasis on the Father.”

All these different stories offer a slice of Muslim life across the world - no more and no less. “Muslims” is not an authoritative work on what Islam is, not by any means. Rather its objective is to “put a human face on Islam,” says Alvin Perlmutter, executive producer of the documentary. The six countries featured were chosen for their diversity of culture and nationality, to show that Islam is not just a Middle Eastern religion, added Anisa Mehdi, another executive producer of the program.

Martin Smith, senior producer of “Muslims”, says he wanted the documentary to go beyond what people see in the media. “The nightly news doesn’t address the important struggle within the Muslim world for the soul of Islam,” he says.

In these post-September 11^th days, that struggle, which is powerfully brought to light in “Muslims”, is proving to be the most vital issue on the minds of all, whether Muslim or not.

“Muslims” airs Thursday, May 9th at 9 p.m. (EST). Visit www.pbs.org/frontline  for more information, or check your local listings.