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Islam and the West: Clashing Beliefs or Common Values?

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Mark your calendar! On Monday, April 4th, 2011 from 5 – 8 pm, the International Beliefs and Values Institute (IBAVI) and the Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement will be presenting “Islam and the West Clashing Beliefs or Common Values?” in the Francis Auditorium at Mary Baldwin College (Staunton, Virginia, USA).  I am humbled to be part of the panel discussion after the screening of “Crossing Borders”, along with Nihad Awad (Executive Director and co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Dr. David Owusu-Ansah, Professor of African Studies at James Madison University and Arnd Wächter, Director of the film “Crossing Borders.”

Many thanks to Nusayba Hammad, Mary Baldwin College class of 2013, for writing up this excellent description of the event:

“Islam and the West: Clashing Beliefs or Common Values?” seeks to deconstruct both the Middle East’s and America’s conceptions of the “Other” by finding common ground to stand on. Samuel Huntington’s theory of the clash of civilizations has dominated our perceptions of the other side of the world, but we must ask ourselves, is it with good reason? Crossing Borders uses the shared experiences of four American and four Moroccan students to bridge the supposedly vast gap between the Muslim world and the West. During their journey through Morocco, these students find that they are not so different after all.

In this age of globalization, understanding the commonalities and differences between Islam and the West is crucial. World politics, and especially the United States’ role in the Middle East, are proving to be increasingly portrayed as “us (the West) versus them (the Middle East/Islam).” But is it fair to pit Islam and the West against each other, implying that they are incapable of coexistence? Delving into the archives of American history, we find this not to be the case. For instance, Morocco was the first nation to recognize the newly formed United States of America, and the two countries have had bilateral relations ever since. The first Muslims to arrive to America did so in the 17th century, against their will and on slave ships from Africa. There are accounts of Muslims serving in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and today, there are over 10 million Muslims in the U.S. Islam is not detached and separate from America, and Muslims are not outsiders but an integral part of our society and nation.

History therefore begs a question: Is the perceived conflict between Islam and the West one that can be traced back to irreconcilable differences found in the essence of each, or is it simply the result of the way in which world politics have played out in the last century?

Crossing Borders will be introduced by Arnd Wächter, the film’s director. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Nihad Awad, Dr. David Owusu-Ansah, and Missy Gluckmann. Each will share his or her perspective on the issues presented in the film, framed by unique experiences and expertise in the field.


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The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (Paperback)

By (author) Samuel P. Huntington

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“Crossing Borders” Film Screening Schedule in the US, Fall 2010

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I’m delighted to share that Arnd Wächter will be screening his award winning documentary, Crossing Borders, at several NAFSA regional conferences this fall.  There will also be a scholarship fundraiser in Washington DC.

Here is the 3 minute trailer:

If you would like more information about Arnd and this film, please see these postings:

An Update on Crossing Borders Film

Interview with Arnd Wächter, Director/Producer of Crossing Borders Film

Introduction to Crossing Borders Film (original post)

Here is the schedule, so mark your calendar:

* October 26, 2010 at 2 pm:  Screening of the film at NAFSA Region 3 in New Orleans.

* October 26, 2010 at 4 pm:  Presentation about using film in international education at NAFSA Region 3 in New Orleans.

* November 4, 2010 at 6:30 pm:  Screening of the film at NAFSA Region 5 in Detroit.

* November 7, 2010 at 5 pm:  Screening of the film at 5 pm at NAFSA Region 10 in New Brunswick.  Please note that this is the day of pre-conference workshops, so if you want to see the free screening and meet Arnd, you should plan to arrive a bit early if you are not attending a pre-conference workshop. (Trust me, the film is spectacular and Arnd’s story about the making of the film and what was happening behind the scenes are well worth arriving a day early!)

* November 9, 2010 at 6 pm:  Special Screening to raise scholarship funds for FEA.  Reception at 6 pm, screening at 7 pm. at George Washington University, DC.

* November 10, 2010 at 6 pm: Screening of the film at NAFSA Region 11 in Providence.

* November 11, 2010 at 3:45 pm: Screening of the film at NAFSA Region 8 in Richmond.

* November 12, 2010 at 9 am: Presentation about using film in international education at NAFSA Region 8 in Richmond.

If you’d like to book a screening on your campus or in your community, here is more information on how to do so!

Map of Morocco





Afghan Star: Singing Takes on a Whole New Meaning

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3 contestants from "Afghan Star"

I had a fascinating conversation yesterday with Arnd Wachter, Director/Producer of the film “Crossing Borders” via Skype.  We spoke about the power of film and how it can be used in the classroom as a tool to allow students, whether or not they study abroad, to get a flavor for another country, culture, language, and to open up hours and hours of dialogue about their stereotypes of others.

I recently discovered a new film to add to the “must see” list of documentaries that must be added to your toolbox!  “Afghan Star” is the story of a national, televised singing competition to search for the latest singing sensation, the next pop star in Afghanistan (think along the lines of “American Idol”.)  This is certainly a topic your students can relate to!  Many young people in the US have not voted in a Presidential election, but can tell you how many times they voted for Adam Lambert in the US version of this competition. The TV show “Afghan Star” is so popular in Afghanistan that more than 1/3 of the entire country watched the finale. Here is the film’s trailer:

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“Afghan Star” won 2 major awards at the 2009 Sundance film festival. The film’s director, Havana Marking, focuses on 4 finalists in the competition – Setara, Rafi, Lema and Hameed.  By doing so, we get a glimpse of what drives each individual to compete and what winning would mean. We hear the stories of life under the Taliban and how they were not permitted to watch television, sing or dance until the ban was lifted in 2004.  We see examples of how women have lost much of their individual freedom. Participants represent many different ethnic groups in Afghanistan (Pashtuns, Hazaras, Tajiks, etc). Witnessing contestants support each other in ways that they might not have done in their daily lives quickly illustrates how much more this pop culture show means in Afghanistan.

There are many directions that classroom discussion can go once this film is viewed. Two of the four main characters, Setara and Lema, are women; This puts them at risk for even participating in such a show. Dancing is not permitted in this culture, and Satara pushes the boundaries of this rule in an effort to follow her desire to self express.  This is one of the most difficult parts of this film for Westerners – observing the society’s reaction to a woman’s desire to dance while she sings.  It is a topic that can fill a semester of dialogue in gender studies, religious studies, sociology and history courses.  Students can explore their impressions of Afghanistan’s attempts to find peace after decades of war.  The TV station that produces “Afghan Star” is a topic of focus for media students.  How does this TV station (Tolo) deal with the direction given by the government and how does that differ from what happens at home?  What are the challenges of texting in votes in a war torn country?  What might youth experience by voting – which is possibly their first act of democracy in their young lives?  There is much to discuss!

Singing and freedom have been documented in the shaping of countries in the past.  For example, you may have seen the documentary about the non-violent Singing Revolution in Estonia (another excellent film.)  Estonia’s ability to sing to share a message of nationalism and unity somehow prevented very tense situations with the Russians from turning violent.  For Afghanistan, singing is also sign of freedom.  “Afghan Star” shows us the power of singing, the media, youth and a country’s desire to move forward after a very painful history.

Use this film in your classroom. For students who watch American Idol, this film about Afghanistan’s counterpart will provide a springboard into current events in Afghanistan.  Getting a taste of these four characters makes you want to know more about them and their homeland.  And it forces you reflect on how incredibly brave and ready they are to challenge the status quo by joining this competition.

Oh, and did I mention that the music is fabulous?  :)


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Afghan Star (DVD)

Director: Havana Marking
Starring: Setara, Rafi, Hameed, Lema
Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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Release date March 30, 2010.




“Crossing Borders” – A Must See Documentary

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This posting must begin with the recognition that the Yankees were playing last night (and ultimately won) the World Series last night.  Now keep in mind, that I do realize that it is incredibly ethnocentric for the US to call the North American baseball series a “World Event”.  However, I was born and raised in NY and have not missed a World Series Yankee game in my life.  So last night, while at the NAFSA conference, I debated whether to slip away from the TV to watch a 72 minute documentary about 4 Moroccan and 4 American students who spend a week traveling together.  Boy am I glad that I did.

The film “Crossing Borders” by Arnd Wachter is POWERFUL.  I cried and I laughed.  It moved me to my core and reminded me why I usually cannot believe that someone pays me to create opportunities for dialogue across cultures, for better understanding across people and nations, and for the joy of watching students see the world through different lenses.  As my friend and colleague James Leck, from Boston University, often says, ”international educators are the quiet revolutionaries.”  This film reminds me that there is nothing more true or important than the work that we do.

“Crossing Borders” is a documentary that follows 4 Moroccan and 4 American University students as they travel together in Morocco and in the process of discovering “The Other”, they discover themselves.   This film is the brainchild of Director Arnd Wachter, who was raised in East Germany.  It was his response to the events of 9/11 and the Iraq war – when we all asked ourselves the impossible question – how can I deal with living in a world with such violence and hatred? What can I do to change this?  How can I make sure that I am not sitting by silently?

One of the challenges of being in international education is you often don’t get to experience, first hand, those “a-ha” moments that the students experience when they are in their host country.  We know that they are happening, constantly, but we usually hear about them when they return, or if we’re lucky, via an email or skype conversation.  What is remarkable about this film is that we witness 8 young people from 2 markedly different cultures experience those “a-ha” moments about each other as if we are sitting side by side with them.  They bravely address 9/11, the media, stereotypes, dignity and respect, wealth and poverty, religion, their commonalities, ignorance, loneliness, family and so much more in such an incredibly honest and  humorous way. Wachter does a magnificent job of representing the Moroccan culture.  The transitions he uses between scenes, editing of 70 hours to a mere 72 minutes while effectively getting the message to the viewer, along with the quotes that he strategically places throughout the  film, are nothing short of masterful.

That Wachter is anxious to bring the film to campuses around the world is particularly exciting.  This film will be a very effective tool to create dialogue about religions and how they can better understand each other and create opportunities to dispell myths and work together.   Wachter will provide materials about intercultural tension prior to each campus screening, will present the film and answer questions and will assist in the facilitation of dialogue about religion and culture.  I cannot think of a more appropriate time in our history to advocate for this film to be seen.

After the screening, while wiping away tears, I thanked Wachter for his deeply meaningful, witty and educational film.  I did not regret missing the final game of the World Series – as I watched something much more genious than Matsui’s 6 RBIs!  Needless to say, I committed to spreading the word about this film. My hope is that you will do your part in helping to educate others about the opportunity to experience how these youth, with nothing but 7 days to spend together, were able to break down the supposed “clash of civilizations” between Islam and the West.

Please enjoy the trailer of the film and I look forward to your comments:

http://crossingbordersfilm.org/