"Islam & the West" - Synopsis

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States and Europe.  Yet many factors such as the rise of Islamic militants, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, have given rise to misunderstandings and aroused animosities between Islam and the West, with many in both worlds viewing the other as an inscrutable and menacing force. 

Over the past six years, Islamaphobia has increased in the United States and Europe.  In Arab and Muslim countries, a distrust of U.S. and Western foreign policy is escalating.  We stand at a crossroads.  On the one hand, the ongoing conflict produces fear and the notion that we live in an increasingly unstable world.  Conflict-driven media reinforces this idea.  Violence dominates the headlines, leaving the indelible image of a world doomed to conflict.  Yet, on the other hand, an interest in one another’s cultures and beliefs developed out of the tragedy of 9-11.  Concerned leaders and individuals created a surge of cross-cultural understanding.

Islam and the West is a definitive feature length documentary that hopes to improve the relationship between Islamic and Western civilization by bringing viewers to a profound understanding of the complex and dynamic relationship that exists between them.  In-depth interviews with leading intellectuals from both civilizations will provide the framework for this film.  These conversations will unravel the roots of misconception and conflict, highlight the commonalities between East and West, and demonstrate how leaders and individuals are working in ways that unite, rather than divide us.

The road to peace must first begin with uncovering the origins of conflict and misconception.  The film will bring audiences from the government halls of Washington D.C., to universities in the Middle East, to the homes of families in Southeast Asia; in this way, a more intimate picture of this nuanced, multi-partner relationship might emerge. In-depth interviews with academics, politicians, and religious leaders will serve as a framework for the film, providing thoughtful analysis of the effects of colonialism and Western foreign policy and the development of radical Islamist thought.  More common voices from the Western and Muslim worlds will contextualize this analysis and show legitimate fears and suspicions from both sides. Personal story segments from Muslim communities in Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran and the United States will help to paint a different picture of a vibrant Islamic culture that can replace the stark image of fundamentalism that dominates international media.  Indeed, the role of the press will be an important topic throughout the film, as experts and laypeople alike reveal its role in fueling this conflict with negative imagery and alarmist storytelling. 

Next, the film will consider the religious and practical differences between Islamic and Western cultures, while also underscoring the many commonalities that exist between them.  It will educate the audience about Islam, and show how this religion manifests itself in many powerful moderate sects and developing democracies around the world. Portraits of female entrepreneurs thriving under Sharia law create a more nuanced view of women’s roles in Islamic societies.  Similarly, stories in Indonesia and Turkey will counter the misconception of Islam as a religion limited to the Middle East and incompatible with democracy. In order to replace a fear of the unknown “other,” Islam and the West will help audiences not only understand and respect these differences, but also find a great deal of common ground.

The film concludes with a section on how leaders and individuals are working toward positive dialogue and cooperation – a process that is reversing what has been defined as an inevitable clash of civilizations.  Among other exchanges, the audience will have the unique opportunity to witness, first hand, a dialogue of leaders who will tackle the political and practical challenges of promoting cross-cultural understanding and peace.  Also, the role of media will be revisited and reshaped here, so that journalists can have a positive impact in the process of reconciliation.

In sum, the overarching tone of this film is one of consideration and optimism. In offering a platform for the moderate voices of both the Islamic and Western worlds, Islam and the West is hopeful for a future relationship that is progressive instead of reactionary, collaborative instead of isolationist, and understanding instead of fearful.