#Jihadism in Pakistan

[secular-jew]

Only in degenerate ☪️

[nogodinvolvedsblog]

UK in deep islam

The Mayor of London is a Muslim. The mayor of Birmingham is a Muslim. The Mayor of Leeds is Muslim. Mayor of Blackburn – Muslim. The mayor of Sheffield is a Muslim. The mayor of Oxford is a Muslim. The mayor of Luton is a Muslim. The mayor of Oldham is Muslim. The mayor of Rochdale is Muslim All this was achieved by only 4 million Muslims out of 66 million people in England: Today there…

[jewkbox]

Is this just going to be an annual thing every October? Will it be a different country every year?

[daaft-prick-69]

[boutdatonline]

NHS GP who runs UK wing of newly banned Islamist terror group Hizb ut-Tahrir is suspended!!! The GP Dr Wahid Shaida has been banned from working for the NHS but is still a registered doctor

[buttercuparry]

The braindeadness of this post is the proof of what Hindutva and Islamophobia does to you. On top of that there is this brain dead use of the tag "hindulivesmatter" via bastardization of BLM, which protests against the very real violence perpetuated by the state against African Americans and using "Hinduphobia"- a vile distortion of Islamophobia, which in fact has killed millions and dehumanized billions of people. Who is killing Hindus in India? Who is jailing Hindus? Who is oppressing Hindus in India? Who is enforcing laws punishing Hindus and reducing them to second class citizens? Exactly how have they been dehumanized? Do random professors come up to a hindu student in an university and call them terrorist? Does the vermilion invoke the same "tsk-tsk" sound as a burqa? When a Hindu boy dares to fall in love with a girl from another faith, is it called the love-jihad? If a woman defends someone from the Hindu faith, are they immediately told that Hindu men would tear into her body and behead her? The audacity and privilege in playing the victim when violence isn't heaped on you...

The fact that anon can even reason that Pakistan is similar to the settler colony and therefore should cede to exist, by surrendering its statehood to India... the fact that Op agrees! shows the extent to which they live in the universe of their own making.

Because apparently it needs to be spelled out:- the partition of the subcontinent happened amongst people belonging to this land. The violence of partition and displacement weren't strictly heaped on one particular community. Thousands upon thousands of Muslim lives were lost just as Sikh and Hindu lives were lost. Thousands upon thousands of Muslims lost their homes, just as Hindus and Sikhs did. To play it as a tragedy only on part of the Hindus* is aptly done in Indian media...I know that. But a manufactured reality is just that- a distortion of facts.

I know in some Zionist circles there is this goal of manufacturing "Greater Israel" which necessitates even more land grabbing by the settlement. It is similar to the hindutva braying of Akhand Bharat ( as in dissolution of both Bangladesh and Pakistan into one single entity named India or Bharat). There literally is no difference between the genocidal intent of Israel and the aspirations of Hindutva.

*btw I am not calling sikhs, Hindu

[eretzyisrael]

by Melanie Phillips

he outspoken chief rabbi of South Africa, Dr. Warren Goldstein, has once again given voice to crucial truths that others have shamefully ignored.

He accused both Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, of being indifferent to the murder of black Christians in Africa and the terrorism threat in Europe while being “outright hostile” to Israel’s attempts to battle jihadi forces led by Iran.

“The world is locked in a civilizational battle of values, threatened by terrorism and violent jihad,” said Goldstein. “At a time when Europe’s very future hangs in the balance, its two most senior Christian leaders have abandoned their most sacred duty to protect and defend the values of the Bible. Their cowardice and lack of moral clarity threaten the free world.”

Goldstein’s blistering accusations were on the mark.

Christians in Africa have been subjected to barbaric slaughter and persecution by Islamists for decades. Two years ago, Open Doors, an organization that supports persecuted Christians, observed: “In truth, there are very few Muslim countries—or countries with large Muslim populations—where Christians can avoid intimidation, harassment or violence.”

In January 2024, a report for Genocide Watch confirmed that, since 2000, 62,000 Christians in Nigeria have been murdered by Islamist groups in an ongoing attempt to exterminate Christianity. In addition, more than 32,000 moderate black Nigerian Muslims and non-faith individuals have been massacred.

According to a report in 2020 by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, Christians in Myanmar, China, Eritrea, India, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Vietnam are being persecuted.

These facts were reported in June by Peter Baum for The Daily Blitz. Yet the mainstream media all but ignore these atrocities. There are no marches in Western cities to accuse these countries of facilitating crimes against humanity. There are no NGO-inspired petitions to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to declare these countries and groups guilty of genocide.

Instead, the media and Western elites demonize Israel as the pariah of the world for defending itself against these genocidal Islamists. This unique and egregious double standard is the hallmark of classic antisemitism.

The attitude of the church leaders is even more astonishing. The hundreds of thousands of victims of this persecution are their flock. The goal of this onslaught is the wholesale destruction of the faith they lead.

Yet from Welby and the pope have emerged little more than occasional expressions of measured concern. And even then, they usually refuse to call out what’s happening by its proper name—the Islamist war to eradicate Christianity and destroy the West.

The 10-month war against Israel by Iran and its proxies following the Oct. 7 pogrom is a crucial front in that onslaught against Western civilization. Yet as Goldstein said, the pope and Welby have stood passively by while African Christians are “butchered by jihadi groups with direct ties to Israel’s enemies in Gaza and the West Bank.”

The jihadi ideology, he said, was also a clear and present danger to Europe. As a result of open-border policies, immigrants poured into the United Kingdom and across Europe, many of them “brandishing a violent jihadi ideology deeply hostile to Christianity, liberal democracy and western values.”

The result has been surging antisemitism leaving Diaspora Jews living in fear. Yet on the ideology fueling this civilizational onslaught, Welby and the pope have been silent. Instead, they have recycled the Islamists’ propaganda that demonizes and delegitimizes Israel with lies.

[girlactionfigure]

*ISRAEL REALTIME* - "Connecting the World to Israel in Realtime"

▪️CORRECTION & UPDATE - MEITAR not MITAR, previous report on school vandalized was in Meitar, near Be’er Sheva, not Mitar, near Netanya.  Two women from Hora who work at the school are suspected and were arrested by police. 

▪️HOSTAGE BABY KFIR TURNS ONE.. where is he?  Is he alive?  Why are we delivering aid and medicines with no proof of life or return?

▪️JORDAN ATTACKS INTO SYRIA.. The Jordanian Air Force attacked targets identified with drug dealers and border smugglers again tonight in southern Syria.  According to reports from Syrian opposition sources, there are about 10 dead as a result of the Jordanian attacks in Syria. Most of them are women and children.

▪️IRAN TRAINED GAZA SNIPERS.. A Shabak investigation of a terrorist showed that Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists from Gaza were trained on Iranian soil to be snipers.

▪️HAMAS CONDEMNS U.S… The senior member Hamas, Abu Zohri, condemned the classification of the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a terrorist organization by the Biden administration.

🚨 RED SEA-Houthis Front 

 ▪️HOUTHIS CLAIM.. The military spokesman of the Houthis:  As part of the response to the American-British attack against us, we launched several missiles at the American ship Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden. Target hits were achieved.  An Indian Navy ship in the Gulf of Aden responded to a distress call from a ship flying the flag of the Marshall Islands that was attacked by a drone.​​​​ The ship that was attacked in the Gulf of Aden is the MV Ginko Picardi and it flies the flag of the Marshall Islands.

 ▪️US / UK ATTACK HOUTHIS.. fourth attack by the Americans and the British against the Houthis in Yemen, targets were attacked early in the morning in Sana'a, Tez, Bicha'a, Hudaydah, Damar and Zada.

🚨 REGIONAL War 

▪️PAKISTAN ATTACKS IRAN.. the Pakistani army attacked 7 targets, some of them near the bases of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, in the Sawaran region of southeastern Iran.   According to its statement, Pakistan attacked "terrorist bases" of “terrorist organizations” in the Sistan region of Balochistan.  Pakistan: “We fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran.”

(( Noting that Pakistan has a very large military, is at constant conflict with India, has nuclear weapons, and buys and is trained on American weaponry including F-16’s. ))

▪️CONFLICTING REPORTS OF US EVACUATING OR REINFORCING SYRIA BASES.. one report states US moved an additional 1,500 troops to Syrian ‘anti-ISIS’ bases.  Another report (Arab media) says “US forces have evacuated the Hemo base in Syria, which is west of the city of Qamishli in Al-Hasakah countryside, after it came under multiple attacks by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.  The forces have reportedly moved to the Tal Baydar base West of Al-Hasakah.  It is considered one of the US occupation forces' most vital bases, as it is close to Qamishli airport and contains a training camp for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).”  

🔶 GAZA-HAMAS Front 

▪️Air and artillery strikes by our forces in the area of ​​Jabalia and Sheikh Radwan in the Gaza Strip.  The IDF left these areas, the residents began to return, and the terrorists along with them.

🔶 JUDEA-SAMARIA Front 

▪️NOOR-SHAMS, firefight, security forces are demolishing terrorist houses in the El Manashia neighborhood, for the 2nd day.  During the activity, terrorists throwing IED’s at the troops and using IED’s on vehicles.

[postoctobrist]

Hey this is a weird thing to ask but you seem like you would know (based on the time on WTYP you started explaining Wahabism): what ARE the Taliban? What's up with them philosophically, who/what is Talib(?), etc. All the American education system ever taught me was "the Evil Government of Afghanistan who we are righteously overthrowing, oo-rah, USA!, etc."

So a ‘talib’ is a student of an Islamic religious school, ‘taliban’ just means ‘students’. That’s where they started out, a network of religious schools in southern and eastern Afghanistan.

Who they are and what they believe is sort of the same question - when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, they provoked a huge resistance that was essentially Islamist in character, both because Afghanistan was already a conservative and religious place, because it was now suddenly full of Russian atheist communists doing war crimes, and because the intelligence services of the US, Pakistan and several Arab countries saw an opportunity to stick it to the Soviets. You can loosely call all of these insurgents ‘mujahideen,’ ‘guys who do jihad,’ and like a lot of insurgencies it depended on individual leaders holding together coalitions of tribal and ethnic loyalties. A lot of these leaders were also not what you might call good guys themselves.

The insurgents win, the Soviets get forced out of Afghanistan, and what follows is an immediate and brutal civil war to determine who gets control of what’s left. The Taliban are in an interesting position because they hate all the warlords equally and have been themselves propped up by particularly Pakistani intelligence, who see them as controllable. They also benefit from a lot of the traditional popularity fascists get: they seem personally clean, orderly, they’re going to restore tradition and brutally punish the right people. They actually seem serious about being Muslims, which matters if you are a serious Muslim and have previously been beholden to a bribe-taking rapist blasphemer. We saw some of these dynamics again with the rise of Daesh/ISIS/whatever. And while they’re mostly Pashtun they’re far less tribalist and far more able to incorporate members of other ethnicities. Yeah, they seem a bit weird and foreign and alienating and they have this look in their eyes, but you should see the other guy.

Anyway, the Taliban win the civil war and establish the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. It’s really bad. Their idea of government is extremely strict, theocratic, and perhaps most of all misogynistic. You get a lot of executions, women being stoned to death in football stadiums, things of this nature. They rule Afghanistan in this way for years but resistance continues from former warlords, most notably a guy called Ahmad Shah Massoud, ‘Afghanistan’s George Washington.’ They successfully assassinate Massoud on September 10th, 2001, with a bomb concealed in a TV camera during an interview.

Unfortunately for the Taliban, they had also welcomed back into Afghanistan an old Saudi mujahid called Osama bin Laden so that he had somewhere to do his side hustle, something called ‘the base,’ ‘al-Qaeda,’ and the day after their big triumph he does something else.

[REEL MISSING] Anyway now they’re back and Afghanistan is an Islamic Emirate again. Foreign policy feels great, doesn’t it?

[nakibistan]

Allah Loves Equality - A Voice for LGBTQIA+ Muslims & Minorities

🌈☪️Allah Loves Equality is a revolutionary campaign that was started by a Pakistani Gay Muslim Activist Wajahat Abbas Kazmi The campaign amplified the voices of marginalised womxn including Queer womxn,Pakistani LGBTQ community as well as LGBTQIA+ muslims.Hashtag #AllahLovesEquality has been trending since 2016.The campaign gain both supports & criticisms. Through his campaign,wajahat wanted to spread the message of TRUE Islam,wanted to end hate & bigotry within muslim societies.The message of ''Allah Loves Equality'' was spred across the continents.A documentary film by the same name was directed by Wajahat Abbas Kazmi to documents the lives of queer muslims in Islamic State of Pakistan🇵🇰 It was a very courageous thing that he has done.Like A jihad for Love,Poshida:Pakistan's Hidden LGBT, Allah Loves Equality film abled to show Pakistan's underground queer & sexual minority.

Wajahat Abbas Kazmi campaigning in Pride March of Italy 🇮🇹🇵🇰🏳️‍🌈

Turkish Gay muslim model is holding #AllahLovesEquality

#AllahLoveEquality in Europe's first Muslim LGBTQ+ Pride 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈☪️

A Queer Palestianian holding #AllahLovesEquality in Jerusalem Pride.

Filipino Muslim Filmmaker Rhadem Musawah marching with #AllahLovesEquality 🇵🇭🏳️‍🌈

[dandelionh3art]

Misinformation and misconceptions about Muslims are widespread due to a combination of historical conflicts, biased media portrayals, and a lack of understanding about Islam. These false ideas can fuel prejudice, hate, and discrimination. Here are some common misconceptions and harmful stereotypes, along with explanations of why they are incorrect:

1. All Muslims are Arabs

Misconception: Many people assume that all Muslims are Arabs because Islam originated in the Arabian Peninsula.

Reality: Arabs make up only about 20% of the global Muslim population. The largest Muslim-majority country is Indonesia, followed by Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Islam is a global religion with followers from every continent, including Africa, Asia, and Europe. It’s a diverse faith practiced by people of many ethnic backgrounds.

2. Islam Promotes Violence

Misconception: Some believe that Islam encourages violence and terrorism, often linking the religion to extremist groups like ISIS or al-Qaeda.

Reality: Extremist groups represent a tiny fraction of the Muslim population. The vast majority of Muslims around the world reject violence and terrorism, as these actions go against the core teachings of Islam, which emphasize peace, justice, and compassion. The word "Islam" itself is derived from "Salam," meaning peace.

3. Muslims Oppress Women

Misconception: A common stereotype is that Islam inherently oppresses women and that Muslim women have no rights or freedoms.

Reality: While some Muslim-majority countries have laws or cultural practices that restrict women's rights, these are influenced by local customs, not by Islamic teachings. In fact, Islam grants women rights to education, work, own property, and participates in public life. The practices that limit women in some regions are often cultural, not religious.

4. Sharia Law is Barbaric and Anti-Democratic

Misconception: Sharia law is often portrayed as a rigid, brutal system that is incompatible with democratic values.

Reality: Sharia is a broad framework that includes ethical and moral guidelines for Muslims' personal and religious lives. Its interpretation and implementation vary widely, and in many cases, it is limited to personal matters like marriage, charity, and worship. Many Muslims live in democratic nations and interpret Sharia in ways that align with human rights and modern legal systems.

5. All Muslims are Religious Extremists

Misconception: Some people believe that Muslims are overly religious and intolerant of other faiths.

Reality: Like any other religious group, Muslims vary in their level of religious observance. Manypracticese their faith moderately, while others may be secular or culturally Muslim without strict religious adherence. Islam promotes coexistence and respect for other religions, as emphasized in the Qur'an, which calls for mutual understanding.

6. Muslims Don’t Integrate into Western Societies

Misconception: There’s a stereotype that Muslims in Western countries don't integrate, hold onto their own customs, and refuse to adopt Western values.

Reality: Many Muslims in Western societies successfully integrate while maintaining their cultural and religious identity. Muslims contribute to their communities in various fields such as politics, education, business, and healthcare. Integration does not mean abandoning one's identity but rather participating in society while respecting both shared and personal values.

7. Jihad Means 'Holy War'

Misconception: Jihad is often translated as "holy war" and linked to violence.

Reality: Jihad means "struggle" or "striving" and can refer to both internal and external struggles to improve oneself and society. The primary form of jihad is the internal, spiritual struggle to live a righteous life. While armed jihad exists in specific contexts, it is not the central meaning of the term, and the vast majority of Muslims focus on personal and peaceful efforts in their understanding of jihad.

8. Muslims Are Loyal Only to Islam, Not to Non-Muslim Countries

Misconception: Some people believe Muslims cannot be loyal citizens of non-Muslim countries because they prioritize their religious laws over secular laws.

Reality: Most Muslims living in non-Muslim countries are law-abiding citizens who respect the laws of the land. Islamic teachings emphasize respecting the laws of the country where Muslims live, as long as those laws do not force them to violate their core religious principles.

9. Muslims Are 'Goat Fuckers'

Misconception: This deeply offensive and racist slur has been used to dehumanize Muslims, especially Arabs, implying they engage in inappropriate relationships with animals.

Reality: This is a baseless, hateful stereotype rooted in ignorance and racism. It reflects the worst forms of bigotry and is entirely disconnected from any truth. This type of language has been used to demonize Muslims, particularly in the context of war and political conflicts, fueling Islamophobia and violence against Muslims.

10. The 72 Virgins Myth

Misconception: There is a widespread myth that Muslim men who die in jihad are promised 72 virgins in paradise.

Reality: This idea has been distorted and sensationalized. The concept comes from a misinterpretation of Islamic texts, and many Islamic scholars argue that it is either symbolic or not based on authentic teachings. Islam’s teachings about the afterlife focus on spiritual rewards, such as eternal peace, closeness to God, and the forgiveness of sins, not physical or material pleasures. The 72 virgins narrative is often misused by extremists or critics to depict Muslims as obsessed with sexual gratification, which is a gross distortion of Islamic eschatology.

These misconceptions and stereotypes are harmful because they perpetuate ignorance, fear, and hatred. They are often rooted in misunderstandings, cultural biases, and the actions of extremist individuals who do not represent the broader Muslim population. A more nuanced understanding of Islam and Muslims is essential to counter these false narratives and promote mutual respect and coexistence.

[secular-jew]

I want you to know that Hindus in India really support Israel and Jews! We see you! We believe in you! And we stand with you!

We might not have similar theology but You guys have a spine of steel and we know the courage it takes to stand up for yourself when Islam and its terror outfit.

You guys deserve every inch of your homeland, safety, peace and the recognition of your spirit.

Namaste! May the victory always be yours!

That's cool. I have many many many Indian friends. India's enemy is the same barbaric Islamist mob that Israel faces on all her fronts. Israel could use some increased public Indian state support as well as any military technology that can help Israel eliminate Islamic terrorism, and frankly, strike Iran hard. Iran is the head of the stake.

[nogodinvolvedsblog]

Pakistanis muslims.

No minority is now safe in Pakistan.Mosques of Ahmadis are not safe in Pakistan,Shia Imambarghas are not safe in Pakistan,temples of Hindus are not safe in Pakistan,churches of Christians are not safe in Pakistan,Gurdwaras of Sikhs are not safe in Pakistan, Yet, many Pakistani Muslims criticize non-Muslims for being Islamophobe all over the world, build numerous mosques in congested residential…

[timetravellingkitty]

"Bangladeshi Hindus were targetted by the Pakistani Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War on suspicions of conspiracy so they believed that killing them would solve the conflict, using them as a scapegoat for something Pakistan started" Thank god you understand! Wait why do you believe in love jihad

[thatdebaterguy]

UK riots

I've left most of my comments on this on youtube but I'll say it here cause at this point why not, barely anyones gonna see it but that's besides the point, the point to make is that, so many of the left are willing to throw around the term far right as a label on anything they see that doesn't fit their narrative, but when we, the centre/centre right, use the term two tier policing, no, we have to be very specific where that's used, or if we say certain people that happen to be white, get policed harsher than certain people who may not be white, suddenly we're racist. Mate, we don't care what your bloody skin colour is, if you're violently waving flags burning things chanting for death towards people, we want you locked up, whether you're an islamic extremist ready to launch a jihad or some bigot who thinks we should kick out anyone who isn't white from england, we the people are fed up of rampant crime and uncontrolled borders, it's not race, religion, whether you come from poland or canada or pakistan, come here peacefully, bring talent with you and adhere to our laws and customs, and we have no issue. We're fed up of the government shutting down our voices and blaming it on the rhetoric of a small hateful minority, yet excusing the behaviour of another small hateful minority. To police properly is to be colourblind, and it goes both ways.

[lgbtqiamuslimpedia]

A Jihad for Love (2008)

Director - Parvez Sharma

Producer - Sandi Simcha Dubowski

Cinematography - Parvez Sharma, Berke Baş,David W. Leitner

Writer - Javed Haider Zaidi

Cast - Imam Muhsin Hendricks,Arsham Parsi,Maryam,Abdellah,Mazen,Ferda,Qasim,Ahsan,Amir,Mojtaba,Kiymet,Sana,Maha,Pedram Abdi (Payam)

Languages - Arabic,Farsi,Urdu,Bengali, Hindi,English,French,German,English,Turkish,etc

Genre - •LGBTQ •Islam •Documentary

Year of Release - 21 May,2008

Box office - $105,651

Awards - •Best Documentary Award,MIX BRASIL •Best Documentary, Image+Nation Film Festival •Best Documentary,The Tri-Continental Film Festival,India • GLAAD Media Award •Teddy Award,etc

A Jihad for Love (preceded by a short film called In the Name of Allah) is an award-winning international documentary on Homosexuality & Islam.It took total six years to make this groundbreaking documentary.Parvez Sharma took the risk to film this documentary in most dangerous country (like Islamic Republic of Iran,Iraq, Saudi Arabia,Pakistan,Egypt).Homosexuality is a punishable crime in most Muslim World.

The work that Sharma started with this film has become a staple in many books on Islam and at U.S. University libraries.The website Faith in Equality put it at number 9 in a list of LGBT films about faith.IMDb rates the film at 13 on its list of 58 titles under the category of "Best documentaries on religion, spirituality & cults".The film first premiered at the TIFF in 2007, and has been screened to great acclaim at several film festivals around the world.The film went on to win 15 other international awards.

Plot

At starting it shows a glimpse of Islam across the globe.The film first featured Hendrick Muhsin, a South African,Pakistani Gay & Muslim.He is also the first Out Gay Imam of Africa.Filmmaker Parvez got into the deep of Hendicks's personal life struggles,his understanding of Islam & reconciliation of intersecting identities.

Mazen, an Egyptian effeminate muslim was arrested in 2001, in a gay nightclub named Queen Boat.He was beaten,forced to stand trial twice on "debauchery" charges & sentenced to a total of 4 years in prison, where he was raped.He eventually moved to Paris.Mazen also has left his families & friends in Egypt.

Sana is a Black Lesbian refugee, & a victim of FGM.She has a deeper understanding of Islam & told Parvez that Queerness is not against Islam.Sana didn't have any kind of sexual relation with any women.But she had intimate loving relations with women.Like others, she came to France as a refugee.Sana befriend with Maryam & Mazen.

Maryam is Moroccan-born queer womxn who lives in Paris.Her girlfriend Maha lives in Egypt.Both lovers met each other on Bint-al Nas - a meeting site for Arab LBTQ womxn.Maryam still believes that she deserves punishment for her lesbian sexual relationship.Both have survived abusive marriages and can only share their love for each other in private.Maryam & Maha go on a shared journey of search and discovery of female homosexuality.In Al-Azhar, they discover an old bookstore where they find a copy of the Fiqh al-Sunnah(The Laws of the Prophet).In the heart of an ancient mosque in the Citadel,they discover beautiful Islamic calligraphy as they declare their impossible love for each other.

Amir, an Iranian gay shia who has respect for Imam Hosseini.He sacrificed his life for Allah & reconciling his muslim faith.While in Iran, he was persecuted under the charges of illicit sexual conduct,illicit mannerism & received 100 lashes.After being brutally beaten and tortured in the police custody.The judge also threatened Amir that he should be punished by stoning.However he was sentenced to flogging.He told Sharma that Allah helped him to escape this traumatic situation.He fled to Turkey as soon as well.There he met 3 gay refugees - Arsham,Payam,Mojtaba.Mojtaba, another (Persian) gay muslim who ran away from Iran,due to his same sex marriage ceremony in 2005.

Ferda & Kiymet are a happy couple in Turkiye.Kiymet belongs from a conservative family.In her early Kiymet's marriage was fixed with a man.Kiymet's marriage ended up at divorce.Then she found Ferda, her soulmate.Ferda's mom is very supportive & tolerant of sexuality.Ferda is a devout sufi queer muslim, who honors Rumi - a prominent sufi icon for both LGBTQ+ & Straight Muslims.

Ahsan & Qasim are queer platonic friends.Ahsan is a Sunni Muslim & Qasim is a Shia Muslim.Both men, belongs from poor backgrounds do not adopt the western peronae of ‘gay’ and instead rely on vernacular terms.Ahsan & Qasim are part of transvestite,transgender community called Zenana,Kothi in Northern India.Most of these community hide themselves from public.Ahsan,Qasim find a safe space in his community.While Qasim is struggling with his sexuality in heteronormative society.

The filmmaker also documented the diverse tolerance of sexuality in sufi traditions (Pakistan,India & Turkey).

Is it the first film on Islam & Homosexuality?

''A Jihad for Love'' is called world's 1st film on Islam & Homosexuality.A Jihad for Love would be an international feature documentary film rather than world's first film on LGBT muslims.However there are several films that focused on LGBTQ muslim or Queerness in Islam.For Example:

Road to Love (2001)

Act of Faith (2002)

Haremde dört kadin (1965)

Hammam al-Malatily (1973)

Köçek (1975)

Ihtiras Firtinasi (1984)

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)

Marcides (1993)

Istanbul Beneath My Wings (1996)

Hamam (1997)

Lola & Billy the Kid (1999)

Production

Bismillah (In the name of Allah) was considered as an early working title for this documentary.Among muslims,the word Bismillah is very auspicious & used before beginning actions,speech,writing.But the tittle was not considered as the final title of this film due to controversy.

A Jihad for Love is produced by Halal Films, in association with the Sundance Documentary Film Fund,Channel 4 (UK),ZDF (Germany),Arte (France-Germany),Logo (US) & SBS Australia.The director & producer Parvez Sharma & co-producer Sandi Dubowski raised more than a million dollars over a 6 years period to make the film.

In an interview with The NY Times,Parvez Sharma said that he "would shoot touristy footage on the first 15 minutes & the last 15 minutes of a tape", with interviews for documentary in between, to avoid having his footage seized at customs.He compiled 400 hours of footage from a dozen countries ranging from Iraq to Pakistan to the UK.The nature of the work placed him at considerable personal risk.He adopted hardcore guerrilla film-making tactics,pretending to be a tourist in one country,a worker for an AIDS charity in another country.Wherever he went,he asked his queer friends to keep copies of footage and destroy the tapes once he had successfully smuggled the masters out of the country.

During his filmmaking Parvez traveled several countries including Pakistan, Iraq, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, USA, UK, Turkey, France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa,[...].

Interviews

In an interview with NY Times magazine,Parvez Sharma said,"Being gay and Muslim myself,I knew that this film had to be about us all coming out— as Muslims. It's about claiming the Islam that has been denied to us." With a target audience of "faithful Muslims," he undertook a variety of outreach tactics, including leafleting mosques,blanketing MySpace,screening in Astoria for 15 key progressive Muslim leaders.In an interview to Der Spiegel, Sharma explained the significance of the title: "I'm not looking at jihad as battle.I'm looking at the greater jihad in Islam, which is the jihad as the struggle with the self.I also thought it was really compelling to take a word that only has one connotation for most -- to take that, reclaim it and put it in the same phrase as love,which is universal.I really think it explains it very well.

Film Screening

A Jihad for Love first premiered in Toronto International Film Festival(TIFF) in September 2007.At its premier,the director was given a security guard for safety reasons.After this film festival A Jihad for Love got huge applaud internationally.A Jihad for Love film premiered as the opening film of Panorama Documente of the Berlin Film Festival in February 2008.

The film was screened in The Rio Film Festival,Brazil on September 2007,Morelia Film Festival,Mexico, on October 2007,The Sheffield DocFest on November 2007,London Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on March 2008,Melbourne International Film Festival on July 2008,Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival on March 2008,etc.A Jihad for Love's first premier in African continent was The Out in Africa Film Festival in Johannesburg and Cape Town,November 2007. On April,2008 A Jihad for Love film was successfully screened at Istanbul International Film Festival.It was the first time that the film allowed to screen in a muslim-majority country.Film also screened in Q! Film Festival of Indonesia.Although singapore banned the film from festival in 2008 due to its sensitive subject.

Popularity

A Jihad for Love film's sale and broadcast on NDTV, South Asia's largest network in 2008 would have a "remarkable" impact on this LGBTQ cause. "NDTV's broadcast has in effect made the film available to over one billion viewers in India,Bangladesh,Pakistan, & large portions of the Middle East and Africa.The various distributors and their Total Rating Points in European television, the Indian/South-Asian sale with its claimed footprint of 15 billion viewers, the theatrical release & the purportedly large numbers of Netflix viewers made the filmmakers and the TRP experts arrive at a number of 8 million total viewers calculated over a period of four years for this documentary.

International Muslim Dialogue Project

Immediately after the film's theatrical launch around the USA,Parvez & Sandi launched the International Muslim Dialogue Project on 2008.The aim of the project was to organize screenings of the film in Muslim Capitals.Sharma called it the "Underground Network Model" of film distribution.He invented this model sending unmarked DVD's of the film with friends & colleagues to Muslim capitals across the world with full permission to sell pirated copies.Some of the boldest were Beirut,Cairo,Karachi,eight cities in Indonesia & Kuala Lumpur

The film was screened privately screened in Iran,Palestine,Bangladesh and Somalia.