A Jihad For Love
A Jihad for Love is the world's first documentary film on the coexistence of Islam and homosexuality. The documentary, directed by Parvez Sharma over a span of 5 and half years, was filmed in 12 different countries and in nine languages. Sharma conducted interviews throughout North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Countries included Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Turkey, France, India, South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom.
A Jihad for Love so far has received following honors:Official Selection – Toronto Film Festival 2007
Parvez Sharma, a muslim gay filmmaker was born and raised in India. For three years, Sharma worked as a broadcast journalist for the Star News Channel/NDTV, covering major assignments across the Indian subcontinent and specializing in investigative/human rights stories and political profiles. He worked as producer and/or editor for BBC World Television's Moneywise and IndiaTomorrow, Central Television (UK), The Discovery Channel (US), and the World Bank Film and Video Unit (US).
Parvez Sharma received his bachelor's degree in English Literature from Presidency College, University of Calcutta and three Masters degrees: Mass Communication (Film and Television) from India's premier MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia University; Broadcast Journalism from the University of Wales College of Cardiff, UK; and Film and Video from American University's School of Communication. He has taught Indian film and other media courses at American University's Department of Anthropology and its School of Communication in Washington, DC.
In the nineties-Sharma was a print journalist for several prominent Indian newspapers including The Telegraph, The Statesman, The Economic Times, The Business Standard, and India Currents Magazine. While at the Statesman he reported on what was the first ever detailing of the lesbian experience within India for a national newspaper- Emerging from the Shadows (July 3, 1994) – which became a rallying point for lesbians around the country and was crucial in the formation of many lesbian organizations. As an activist he was instrumental in setting up the first organized LGBTQ effort in the eastern state of West Bengal, setting benchmarks for many other LGBT organizing efforts around the sub-continent. Parvez has spoken internationally on distinguished film/media panels and panels on issues crucial to LGBT communities in a South Asian and Muslim context. He was a featured speaker at Yale University Law School, at the Persistent Vision in San Francisco, The Open Society Institute in New York, The Center for Gay and Lesbian Studies in New York and at Amnesty International's Human Rights Conference – Global Pride, Global Action: Empowering the Spirit of Human Rights.
Below is an interview with Parvez which is available through youtube.
Part I
Part II
To put together this post, I have taken information from the wikipedia, Youtube, Parvez Sharma's official blog, and the Huffington Post.
