Related Posts

Youssef Chahine is Dead

via Hawg Blawg, I see that Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine is dead. I haven’t seen his earlier work, but I am a fan of al-Massir (Destiny). It’s protagonist is Ibn Rushd, and it’s a reflection of the rise of authoritarianism and the loss of knowledge. There are a couple of sub-plots that I really appreciated in the film, including mystical authoritarianism, which people don’t often associate together, and the power of music to represent freedom. Youssef Chahine

The My Name is (Not) Khan Saga Continues

I recently published a criticism of the film “My Name is Khan,” and of MPAC for honoring the film. I was negligent in providing MPAC’s response. In the interests of being complete, attached are three documents. The original letter criticizing MPAC; MPAC’s response; and the response to MPAC. To be clear, I have not seen the movie, so cannot comment intelligently on this debate. However, it is important for me to show the diversity of thought in the Muslim-American community and the fact that we do have debates. I applaud both groups for having the courage to discuss this publicly…