Being Muslim After 9/11 review
Mobeen Azhar isn’t afraid to tackle hard topics in a brilliant documentary about the rise of Islamophobia – even when it involves hearing criticism about his own decisions
TL;DR
- The documentary "Small Town, Big Riot" by Mobeen Azhar explored how online radicalization led to anti-immigrant violence.
- Azhar's new film addresses the broader issue of Islamophobia and Muslim reactions over 25 years.
- The film traces rising Islamophobia since 9/11, highlighting the impact on British Muslims.
- Interviews with Salma Yaqoob, Alyas Karmani, and Farasat Latif discuss political activism and community deradicalization efforts.
- Karmani and Latif critique Azhar's work, suggesting it gave undue publicity to unrepresentative fringe groups.
- The documentary examines the media's influence, with a former EDL organiser citing media appearances as recruitment tools.
- Azhar and Khan reflect on their film-making choices, balancing reporting inconvenient truths with the impact of editorial decisions.
- The film concludes with a sense of exhaustion, as exemplified by Khan's refusal to cover further anti-Islam events.
- Life for British Muslims continues to be challenging amidst ongoing societal tensions.