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Name
Nelly
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Firstly, I'd like to congratulate you on the success of your documentary Mohammad: Legacy of a Prophet, and would like to ask: what has inspired you to produce such a work while many people may consider Islam as a "violent" religion?!
Answer
Especially at a time when there are so many misunderstandings and negative stereotypes it is important to create opportunities for dialogue and understandings, which is what we hoped to accomplish with the film. It aired nationally here in the U.S. about a year ago and has been used in numerous community building and prejudice reduction events. We hope that work continues.
Name
Ali
- Malaysia
Profession
Analyst
Question
What motivated you in making Muhammad:Legacy of a Prophet?Did you encounter any problems with Muslims during the production,if so,what sort of problems?
Answer
The reason for making the program was that this is an important story that needed to be better understood.It also had never been done before as a documentary, and we thought the time had come to do that.The story of Muhammad is not only a story about a man who changed world history 1,400 years ago, but is also a story about a man whose life and legacy continue to influence people all around the world today.
As for the second part of the question, we did not encounter any problems with Muslims or non-Muslims during the production, other than the normal production problems that come in any production.We assembled a diverse board of advisors, which included Muslim and non-Muslim scholars and other experts to help us do the story in as balanced and correct manner as possible.
Name
Nisrien
-
Profession
Question
Have you expected the reaction the documentary has provoked, especially in the west?
Answer
To be honest, I didn't know what to expect. We began filming the program several months before 9/11 and the atmosphere then was fairly receptive to the idea. After 9/11, the need for this program was never greater, yet there was also more negativity associated with Islam. In the end, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive and appreciative of the program. The critics were relatively few. Our work in the last year as been to extend the program as much as possible through the launch of the SHARE THE LEGACY campaign, which is meant to distribute the program as widely as possible. Go to our website http://WWW.UPF.TV to learn more.
Name
aisyah
- Malaysia
Profession
lecturer
Question
Did what Moses received on the mountain were different from what Prophet Mohammad had received?
Answer
The Qur'an makes it clear that the revelation it contained was meant to continue and clarify the earlier revelations, including what Moses experienced.In fact, it was the counsel of Khadijah's (Muhammad's first wife) Christian cousin, who indicated , as he was a monk, the similarity of Muhammad's experiences with what Moses experienced that first began to convince Muhammad that his revelations were true.
Name
lila
-
Profession
Question
In your opinion is there really what can be called Islamic drama? Does religious believes change any thing in the structure of the drama ?
Answer
I sometimes think there is confusion when applying the term "Islamic" to things such as art or food or clothing. What is actually meant by that? Sometimes it is used by non-Muslims to describe those things from the Islamic (and usually the Arab world), so that calling something "Islamic" often invokes Orientalist Images for the Arab world. But Muslims use that word too, often to mean whether something (say art) is "correct" by some interpretation of Islam. My own idea is that clothing, art, food preparation, and the like are inventions of people, and are done in a way to meet the needs of people. But like any of the needs people have, religion (not only Islam) establishes various guidelines on appropriate clothing, art, etc.I am not aware of any imposed on the structure of drama.
Name
innoha
- Malaysia
Profession
secretary
Question
Why did the movie stress on pictures of Muhamad and his companions when it is well known that we should not do that? This makes Muslims feel bad watching the movie
Answer
We took great care to make sure that there are no pictures of Muhammad and his companions it the program. The art work in the program illustrates either Mecca or Medina society, battle scenes (without the Prophet),or related events. There are no pictures of Muhammad or the companions in the program.
Name
amira
- Egypt
Profession
none
Question
How do you see the outcome of your documentary On the Prophet (SAAWS) as a means of enlightening the non Muslim community in USA & over the world; what are future projects in the same arena?
Answer
No vehicle is more powerful in helping to create better understanding (on conversely, increasing prejudice) than the mass media. That is why Michael Wolfe and I created Unity Productions Foundation to help increase understanding and dialogue through the mass media.
Future projects are many and include: a program on Islamic Spain, which tells the story of Christians, Jews, and Muslims creating one of the most pluralistic cultures in Medieval Times that still offers lessons for today, and another program on the true story of an African Muslim Prince who became a slave in Mississippi before gaining his freedom and inspiring our nation.
Name
taahir
-
Profession
accountant
Question
Salaams
Islamic Movies / documentaries are not received very well in the Muslim largely dues the idea that TV film, etc is haraam. However this form of media can be an excellent form of dawah and education to both Muslim and non-Muslims, how have Muslims reacted to your work? Islam has many heroes that would make excellent characters for main stream blockbusters; do you have any intention of doing any of those.
Answer
At least in the U.S., the reaction to the program and the idea of the media is very positive among Muslims.
In fact, most of the funding for the program came from individual donations, mainly from Muslims. The visual media is the means of communicating today, just as writing replaced oral transmission.
Remember that there was once a debate about the appropriateness of committing the Qur'an to writing, but today no one would doubt the wisdom of that.
TV and film are not inherently haraam.They are like an empty page. What matters is what is put on it.It could be something haraam, or it could be, say, the Qur'an.
The same for the words that come out of your mouth, or the actions of your body.It matters what you do with them.And, yes, we hope to make a mainstream blockbuster soon.
Name
öAlSyed Shahab
-
Profession
IT Consultant
Question
First, I want to congratulate you for this fine effort in giving the true picture about Islam, my question , What will be the impact and the influence this film has on the general American public opinion and European as well concerning Islam, I suggest complimentary copies to be given to the US administration departments
Answer
That is actually part of the idea of the SHARE THE LEGACY campaign.Go to our website at http://www.upf.tv for details.
Name
aisyah
-
Profession
Question
Does islam allow to marry a non-muslim, later then converts in order to help him to know Islam better?
Answer
First, I must say that I am not a religious scholar, so my opinion on this issue is that of a fellow student rather than a teacher. Islam explicitly permits Muslim men to marry Christian and Jewish women. While there is no explicit prohibition against Muslim women marrying Christians and Jews, because it is not explicitly permitted, most Muslims consider such a marriage unlawful. Some people our challenging that idea, but it is unlikely that that majority opinion will change anytime in the near future. However, you seem to be asking a more personal question than my legalistic answer. To reply more personally, I would say that if it is possible that a non-Muslim man may become a Muslim on account of his wife, then effort should be made to have that happen before the marriage.
Editor
This session is not dedicated to Fatwa as our respected guest is not a scholar. You can re-submit your question to the Fatwa Section on islamonline.net
Name
Badr
-
Profession
Question
Apart from the conspiracy theory, somebody may see "ignorance" as the main cause of distortion Islam and Muslim images in the western movies and drama, What do you think and how we can overcome this obstacle?
Answer
It is important for Muslims to work in the media to help shape media images of Islam and Muslims.There is no effective way to do it from the outside. Ignorance, not hostility, is the main reason for such distortions.It's up to Muslims to be active in this area.See our website http://www.upf.tv for details of what we are trying to do and help support us.
Name
Hassan
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
Are there any prominent Muslim experiences or individuals engaging with the American drama and movies?
Answer
Our program, "Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet," has been seen by millions of people in the U.S. and was recently broadcast around the world on National Geographic Television.Some of our new projects hope to bring other stories of compelling Muslims to the big and little screen. American audiences love stories about people, much more than about abstract subjects.
Name
Ameen
- United Kingdom
Profession
University student
Question
Are you a Muslim.If not, what prevents you from having faith in Muhammad's call?
Answer
Yes, I've been a Muslim for many years. I was attracted to Islam's pluralistic spirit and universalistic concerns, which some Muslims today, along with many of Islam's worst critics, want to deny. Islam is bigger than the political issues of today, however great they may be to us. The political issues of today will pass, just as other great political issues have passed. What will be left is Islam's reputation and whether we, as Muslims, contributed to bettering it through our actions, or whether we contributed to harming it. More than any other religion, Islam is defined by the behavior of its believers, which is both a blessing and a burden for Muslims. But it is a fact that none of us can escape. We need to always ask, is what I'm doing a positive or a negative reflection on Islam.
Name
abdullah alisary
-
Profession
Question
where can i find your brodcast in U.K,I can't find it any wher here ?
Answer
In U.K, you can find it on National Geographic International. I'm not sure where else.
