Two women holding hands, deep in prayer, their faces digitally blurred, star in the opening scene of A Jihad for Love. Filmmaker Parvez Sharma’s documentary gives these and other gay and lesbian Muslims a chance to tell their stories, though a majority of their faces remain covered out of fear for themselves and their families. This gripping film takes place in twelve different countries and nine different languages. From drag queens in North India to a young Egyptian refugee in France, the stories are all different, but none can avoid the grief and frustration that arises from the conflict between sexual orientation and religion.
The sorrow with which Sharma’s subjects are afflicted easily evokes compassion from the audience. Muhsin Hendricks, a once-married gay imam who lives in South Africa and is ostracized by his Muslim community, attempts to use the Qur’an as a tool to prove there is nothing wrong about loving members of the same sex. Hendricks coined the expression “a jihad for love” to describe the struggle between his love for other men and his Muslim faith. His goal, and that of a proud Muslim lesbian introduced in Paris, is to convince others that if Islam accepts him, its worshipers must as well.
Others interviewed deal with raging internal battles. They disagree with those who interpret the Qur’an as not condemning homosexuality, yet they maintain their gay and lesbian lifestyles. Particularly striking is the young Afghani woman who struggles with her fundamentalist morals, while carrying on a committed relationship with another woman.
Sharma treats the identities of those who share their stories delicately, yet cleverly. He fills entire shots with the same digital blur used to protect identities. This blur represents not only the physical identities but also the confusion these devout Muslims feel about themselves, torn between their religion and their sexual orientation. Sharma uses a hand held camera for most of the shots in order to be discreet in his filming, a technique that echoes to the reality of those interviewed and their need for discretion.
The film highlights the laws and customs of Islam, while paralleling to the trials endured by gays and lesbians of any religion throughout the world. Sharma opens a fascinating window into Islam and its followers. He powerfully contrasts secular Turkey and conservative Iran, not by their laws but by the happiness and freedom enjoyed by homosexuals in those countries.
Sharma does not construct a continuous plot, but despite the brevity of the segments on each person or couple, it is easy to become attached to characters because of their riveting narratives. Those interviewed tell of past arrests and beatings by government officials, and their futures always appear equally uncertain. In spite of their sorrow, those under attack are able to occasionally laugh and joke, faint signs of hope.
A Jihad for Love is playing at E Street Cinema, 555 11th Street NW.
