Nazrah: A Muslim Woman's Perspective

Shortly after the 9-11 attacks, with hate crimes occurring against Muslims in Seattle, Farah Nousheen brought forth the need for cultural bridges in the form of movies. She was asked to locate good films about Muslim women. Searching broadly, she selected enough excellent films from various countries to create a very popular multi-day showing. But each of these movies was about Muslim women in one country; none covered the wide range of Muslim cultures.

Farah felt that gap strongly enough to put the word out in the Seattle region, inviting Muslim women to join in sharing their voices and perspectives. Each woman who answered the call co-created this movie, in fascinating cross-cultural conversations and debates, offering intimate insights into Muslim women’s variety of experiences, beliefs, and world views. The liveliness of their debates was inspiring and encouraging: their determination and willingness to accept responsibility for change in their Muslim cultures, or to come to terms with it as is; to develop their religious cultures, from personal jihads to community activism. Each woman walked her own edges of living true to her faith, her family, her community or culture, and her Self.

I had a chance to hear Film makers Farah Nousheen (director) and Rita Meher (production manager and wide-angle camerawoman) describe the making of the movie, its evolution, and its spread throughout the world. This grassroots movie was created by two women starting from scratch, with no previous experience in filmmaking. Cameras and labor were donated. In the years since, Farah and Rita have established Tasveer (http://www.tasveer.org), an independent film organization in Seattle, which gathers shorts, experimental films, documentaries, and narratives for monthly screenings and a yearly film festival: "South Asian Women Film Focus" (March 24-26). Farah is mostly screening films now, and working on shorts. Rita gained an education in film making and now works in television production. Farah mentioned that Nazrah, filmed in 2001, is almost historical now. In its first showings, it provoked shock and outrage in its inclusion of a lesbian Muslim woman. In the following years, debates centered around the wearing of head scarves, Hijaabs, and how conversations among Muslim women have changed, especially post Iraq invasion.

Lynn Oha Carey

Nazrah is available at the Evergreen State College library in video and DVD formats.

*SESAME, Students Educating Students About the Middle East, is a student group at Evergreen. SESAME can be reached at 867-6781 or sesame@riseup.net.