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It’s so incredible how we in the West have been misled and misinformed about Islam.As children, the closest we
got to the subject was Omar Sharif in “Lawrence of Arabia”, or Anthony Quinn
in “The Thief of Baghdad”.
Islamic peoples were
romanticized. They were the people of the
desert.
The desert from which first
came Moses. Then came Christ. Then came Mohammed… |
“JIHAD…The History
of a Word”
Produced by Les Films du Village, Paris and WAP, Beirut in association with Planet Group Factual Entertainment
Londonistan, NewYorkistan, Parisistan, Osloistan, Berlinistan, Sydneyistan, Tokyoistan, Etc.-istan….these are the new names being given to deeply traditional western-oriented cities in countries with significant populations of peoples of Islamic heritage who have sought another way of life. Along that way, many have somehow managed to raise children who have rejected the western values their families have sought to accommodate. These children, along with their ‘fellow terrorist travelers’, still deeply embedded in the Middle Eastern rites of religious fanaticism and politicized beliefs, have joined hands to make life a mess for the West.
For the most part, they have used “JIHAD” as an excuse to push a political point of view that has confused, frightened, and infuriated the Western World, and made a sham of the true meaning of the word.
Here’s an example of this
phenomenon:
“- An investigator (in the case) said the authorities “simply do not know how many impressionable young Muslims have gone to training camp abroad and returned”, well prepared for terrorism. They simply do not know how many. “ There may be a few, but there be more than a few”. Hardly reassuring for the ordinary citizen. Nor are the potted lectures on Islam that we get from well meaning people, at times like this, explaining that the true way of Islam is enlightened tolerance.
“I cannot pretend to know enough about Islam to
discuss it with anyone who has studied it. Yet even a child could work out that
the emollient things said by the well meaning about Islam are very
inconsistent. It may well be that suicide is not permitted, neither mentioned
in the Koran, nor allowed by other Islamic teaching. But martyrdom in the name
of jihad is widely praised and encouraged by Islam, even when it involves
suicide.”
-minette.marrin@sunday-times.co.uk
Does
a clearer understanding of the word JIHAD offer any solace? Perhaps not. But if we could understand the
history of the word, and see how it has been used over the centuries we could
arrive at some conclusions…having been ‘entertained’ and, along the way, better
informed.
‘Jihad…The
History of a Word’ is a four-part series devoted to discovering how the word
came about. What were its original meanings? How have those meanings changed
over time throughout the World of Islam, and where will those meanings go in
the future?
This
is a journey, a road film. We will learn a bit of Islamic History, and see how
different sects broke away from the original (just like the fragmentation of
Roman Catholicism, and Judacia), and ‘spread the word’ halfway around the world
over the last 1500 years. We will see how modern events have led to more
aggressive meanings of the word; and how the issue of Israel, Oil and Osama
have lead us into the next, more dangerous, phase.
In
the end we will realize that the true meaning of the word ‘JIHAD’ has been
stretched far beyond its true original meaning: “ as a battle within one’s self
for the salvation of one’s soul” to the breaking point where fanatic
‘believers’ are religiously hypnotized into strapping on explosives, flying
airliners into buildings, and sacrificing themselves in the battle for worldly
ideals that have little to do with the politics of power and lots to do with
the tragedy of innocents. For this, they truly believe they go to their God for
their heavenly rewards!
What
drives youthful Islamics into this brainwashing? How do the brainwashers get
away with it?
By
distorting the meaning of the word ‘JIHAD’, by propagandizing the related
glory, that’s how they do it. And ultimately a lot of innocent people are
cheated out of life itself…Like a never-ending cycle, a spin…round and round
and over and over again.
But
something else happens along the way. A lot of peace loving, rational Islamic
peoples get their names and their religion dragged through the mud. They are
slandered, mistrusted, accused, hated and, in some cases, murdered. These are
the hate crimes associated with the word ‘JIHAD’. This aspect starts to spin
into the never-ending cycle. Ultimately, these innocents become politicized
themselves…and their children, encouraged, go off to clandestine training camps
(many still exist) to ‘learn the ropes’. Then, they return and complete their
‘heroic acts’ of terrorism. Their families are rewarded with dollars by not so
nice political organizations like Hamas and others…whether they want the
dollars or not; it’s just another part of the spin…round and round and over and
over again.
To
‘build’ this Series we have brought together a number of co-producing partners
who know well the ways of the Middle East and bring access to very, very deep
archives, some never before seen on television, to keep us engaged. There are
few ‘talking heads’, except for those of major importance, to impact
credibility and create newsworthiness.
Our
point is not to make any particular political statement, but to explain in an
entertaining/informative manner the history behind what now drives terrorists
to politicize and misrepresent their religious beliefs and take human
life…using the word ‘JIHAD’ as their ‘heavenly’ excuse.
For
more detail about this Series please contact
patricknagle@pgeparis.com