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A new documentary on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (saaws) will air on PBS starting in December
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When
Michael Wolfe began looking for funding a number of years ago for a
new documentary project he wanted to start on the life of the
Prophet Muhammad (saaws), the actual finished project was probably
the last thing on his mind. But after three years in production, the
film is finally ready for public consumption and will be aired on
PBS starting December 18.
Entitled
Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet, the documentary is a
groundbreaking examination of Islam’s messenger. Maybe most
important about the film is that its producer, Michael Wolfe, is
himself Muslim. Additionally, many of the key financial contributors
are also Muslim in origin including Arabian Bulk Trade, the Sabadia
Family Foundation, the Irfan Kathwari Foundation, the El-Hibri
Foundation and the Qureishi Family Trust.
It
is rare that Muslims are given the opportunity to speak for
themselves in their own voices to large mass media audiences. Thanks
to Wolfe, however, this telling of the life of the Prophet Muhammad
(saaws) will be done from a Muslim perspective with Muslim
sensibilities taken into consideration.
Wolfe
is maybe best known for his 1997 ABC Nightline news special
“The Hajj”. A video journal, “The Hajj” followed Wolfe
through the fifth pillar of the Islamic faith, providing western
audiences with an unprecedented view of the rites of the pilgrimage
including some of the first widely broadcast scenes in the West from
Mecca itself.
Since
then, Wolfe has been hard at work trying to bring to fruition his
dream of a comprehensive documentary on Islam that would be both
accurate from a Muslim point of view and informative and engaging
for a non-Muslim audience. The result, Muhammad: Legacy of a
Prophet, combines historical information with contemporary
personal reflections to create a documentary that provides both the
factual content audiences expect from this genre of filmmaking as
well as a humanistic perspective that helps drive home the impact
Islam has had on such a broad swath of humanity.
As
PBS often does with its programs, there is a companion website (http://www.pbs.org/muhammad/)
for Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet that is as informative and
useful as the film itself. Although not yet fully operational, the
website will feature an interactive timeline, background
information, production notes, a discussion forum, learning tools
for educators and a virtual Hajj tour.
For
exact dates and times for the documentary, check local listings or
the PBS online station finder at http://www.pbs.org/whatson/
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