Bahrain

Bahrain Delegation
July 30 – August 5, 2010
Filmmaker (Senior Project Advisor): Zaheer Ali, New Muslim Cool

Delegate Report

Zaheer Ali

New Muslim Cool Challenges without Alienating. Film inspires robust dialogues on faith, gender, youth engagement, and cultural exchange in Bahrain.

Unlike many of the American Documentary Showcase delegations in the past that usually partner a filmmaker with an expert on documentary filmmaking who present several films, I traveled alone to Bahrain representing only New Muslim Cool. On behalf of the American Documentary Showcase, I presented New Muslim Cool primarily to youth audiences—including a youth organization, the university community, and a group of young professionals—and talked with representatives of web, print, and national broadcast media. Bahrain’s predominantly Muslim population had a particular interest in the content of this film rather than documentary filmmaking in general. For many of my audiences, this was the first time they had encountered non-Arab American Muslim culture and they were very curious about its history as well as contemporary Muslim life in America. They were unafraid to pose challenging questions on issues ranging from religious authenticity to political engagement, and I was unafraid to pose some challenging questions of my own to them about religious pluralism and cultural diversity. All in all, my visit occasioned a set of unique and robust discussions on broad issues of faith, gender, youth engagement, cultural exchange, and Muslim life in America; representing the best of what cultural diplomacy can accomplish.

Bahrain is a small nation of islands in the Persian Gulf, off the coast of Saudi Arabia to which it is connected by a bridge, or causeway. There is a combination of tradition and modernity present in its desert-colored structures and mosques, as well as its glass and steel high-rises and mega-malls. Most of its people are Muslims, including a significant Shi’i population; but there are other religious faiths represented, and I found a general sense of religious tolerance among the people I met. The timing of my visit reflected the Muslim influence: in Bahrain (as in many predominantly Muslim countries) the weekend is Friday and Saturday, in order to accommodate the Muslim Jummah congregational prayer service on Friday; so my official activities were scheduled for Sunday through Tuesday. (Combining nearly 14 hours of air travel, several time zone jumps, and beginning the workweek on Sunday, really challenged my body clock!)

Friday, July 30

My journey began from JFK with a Friday evening departure. My flight would include a layover in London, and would arrive Saturday evening at Bahrain International Airport in Manama, the capital city of Bahrain.

Saturday, July 31

View from my hotel of Al Fateh Mosque, also called the Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in Bahrain, and one of the largest in the world that accommodates over 7,000 people

I arrived in Bahrain Saturday night, and was greeted by Hind Abdulla, Media Coordinator in the U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Office. Hind coordinated the logistics of my visit, and accompanied me to all the screenings. She, along with the Press & Cultural Attaché Rachel Graaf, Press Specialist Hana Al Saeed, and their staff were gracious hosts throughout my visit. The Embassy provided transportation for all our engagements, and had made arrangements for me to stay at the Gulf Hotel, a grand upscale hotel complex that had several restaurants, bars, fitness area, etc. From my room, I had a great view of the majestic Al Fateh Mosque, also known as the Grand Mosque—the largest mosque in Bahrain, and one of the largest in the world, accommodating over 7,000 people.

Sunday, August 1

Discussing the role and status of women in Islam and in America, with interviewer Nada Al-Wadi for WomenGateway.com. Also pictured is Rachel Graaf, Press and Cultural Attaché from the Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Embassy

Sunday morning, I was greeted by Rachel Graaf and Hind Abdulla in preparation for my first interview, with Nada Al-Wadi of Women Gateway, a bi-lingual web-based portal designed to provide information, opportunities, and empowerment to Arab women. The interview was conducted in the lobby of the Gulf Hotel, and our hour-long discussion on gender examined the status of women and Muslim women in particular in America, the experiences of Muslims in post-9/11 America, the need for Islamic scholarship to address issues of gender and include women voices, and the ways New Muslim Cool illustrates these themes. I talked in particular about the roles women have played in American history, and how Muslim women likewise play important roles in Muslim communities as well as the broader American society. I emphasized that Muslims around the world must continue to expand opportunities for women, as their input is critical for restoring balance and equality in the ways Islam is taught and practiced.

A summary of my interview in English appears here http://www.womengateway.com/enwg/Features/Features15Aug.htm, with a more detailed report in Arabic here: http://www.womengateway.com/arwg/interviews/Interview.htm.

Being interviewed about New Muslim Cool by Hafed Abdul Ghaffar for Al-Watan daily newspaper & Bahrain News Agency

In the afternoon, I conducted my second interview, with Hafed Abdul Ghaffar of Bahrain News Agency (BNA) and the independent daily newspaper Al-Watan, accompanied by Press Specialist Hana Al Saeed from the Embassy’s Public Affairs Office. The interview was also conducted at the Gulf Hotel, and we focused primarily on the film: I provided background information on the film’s production; its broadcast and reception among critics, members of the media, and Muslim communities. One of the key ideas I conveyed to Hafed was that the film “challenges everyone, but alienates no one”—New Muslim Cool inspires us to revise how we see ourselves and how we see each other, as Muslims, as non-Muslims, as American, as non-Americans, etc. I also expressed my hope that in the screenings we would do in Bahrain, that the film could also serve as a bridge between America and Bahrain through some of the commonalities highlighted in the film—not just the obvious (Islam), but through the universal experiences of youth engagement, artistic production, community service, and self-improvement.

Al-Watan’s report of the interview in Arabic appeared in their August 10 issue.

With members of the Bahrain Youth Society after screening New Muslim Cool. Also pictured in center is Hind Abdulla, Media Coordinator for the Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Embassy

Later that evening, Hind Abdullah from the Embassy accompanied me to the first screening of New Muslim Cool at the offices of the Bahrain Youth Society http://www.bahrainys.com. The BYS is a non-governmental organization (NGO) subsidized by the government, to provide resources for youth development activities, sort of like if the Boys and Girls Club of America was subsidized by the federal government. It is a co-educational group of young people, most of whom are in high school or early college years; and many seem to come from traditional backgrounds. One member with whom I spoke while they were setting up for the program told me about his experiences in the BYS. He said that he came from a very sheltered background and had little exposure to the world outside his local community; and his involvement with the BYS helped him to come out of his shell, to take a greater responsibility for his community, and have a greater awareness of the world outside his immediate home. The BYS is headed by Ali Sharafi who functions as the main activities coordinator, but the “work” of the Society seems evenly distributed among its members. It is a mixed gender group, but there were separate spaces for men and women to gather, and there were facilities for recreational/leisure use. The screening took place in a common area for about 30-40 young people.

After the screening, we had a very robust and lively discussion—the young people expressed genuine curiosity about Islam in America, and certainly were not afraid to voice criticism or raise questions about what they saw. The first question came from a young man who objected to the use of music by Muslims. He was unmoved by Hamza’s (the main character in New Muslim Cool) transformation—as far as this questioner was concerned, Hamza’s continued engagement in music production constituted something that was haram (forbidden) in Islam. Some of the other audience members expressed surprise and a little discomfort on their faces that the first comment their guest would be met with would be such condemnation, but I took it in stride. I asked him if the pro-Islamic content of Hamza’s music made any difference, and he said, “No.” I thanked him for his comments and told the members of the audience that it was okay for us to have this discussion. I then pointed out to him that there was a diversity of opinion among scholars regarding the place of music in Islam—that some are in agreement with him that it should be completely forbidden, while others offer varying degrees of accommodation. Some allow for the human voice and a percussive instrument, while other say the tradition of Prophet Daoud (David the Psalmist who played the harp) allows for stringed instruments, while still others say no instruments at all. He still objected; I accepted his opinion as valid while re-asserting mine, and we moved on. Almost immediately after, a few others raised their hands and expressed disagreement with the first questioner, voicing their support for Hamza’s use of music, saying that Muslims needed to take full advantage of new ways to reach people with the message of Islam.

In the discussion, I solicited and encouraged diversity of opinions, and challenged the audience to consider alternative viewpoints as well. One audience member, Muhammad, talked about the importance of using technology, and was happy to see that the film addressed the idea of “jihad” meaning personal struggle, rather than the way it is often mistranslated in mainstream media to refer to “holy war.” Another, Ibrahim, said he was always inspired by portrayals of Muslim devotion in the “West” and hoped that such portrayals would inspire similar devotion among the Arab youth he knew. I took that opportunity to point out to the group the ways the unique history of Islam in America has shaped American Muslims’ devotion and commitment, how being Muslim as a minority religion in America is the result of conscious choice and is not easily taken for granted in the way it may be in a Muslim majority country. Then we got into a discussion of religious authenticity—who can claim “Islam” for themselves—and I challenged the group to understand Islam as a global, not just Arab religion; and I also challenged them to be open not only to other ways of living Islam culturally, but also other religious expressions as well. I gave them the example of non-Muslims eager to learn about Islam, and asked, “How many of us [Muslims] are as eager to learn about others?” The exchanges were good-natured, and I used lots of humor and laughter (as did they) to get through some of the more challenging points.

After the discussion, the members of the Youth Society presented me with a token of appreciation, we took group pictures, and exchanged contact information. On that note, I have to say one of the things that surprised me was when this group of mostly traditionally-dressed Muslims said to me, “Are you on Facebook?” Since then, I’ve made a lot of Bahraini friends on Facebook (smile). It alerted me to the important role that social media can and will play in cultural diplomacy of this sort.

A report of my visit with the Bahrain Youth Society appeared in an Arabic local media publication on August 6, 2010.

Monday, August 2

There was only one event (a screening) planned for Monday evening, so I took the first half of the day to explore my surroundings a bit. During this time of year, the weather in Bahrain was unbearably hot and humid, with temperatures in the high 90s that felt like 115 degrees Fahrenheit with the humidity! So I did not travel too far on foot (although I did try before I felt like I was melting and quickly retreated back indoors!).

Alumni Club: After screening New Muslim Cool, with Art Jones, Media Center Director at Ahlia University, and a student from the University of Bahrain

Later that evening, Hind Abdulla from the Embassy accompanied me to the screening at the Alumni Club. Press and Cultural Attaché Rachel Graaf also attended. Billed as the public screening, the Embassy had advertised in local papers, and through its networks to encourage attendance. In spite of their best efforts, the attendance at this event was modest. Most who attended were affiliates of, or had learned about the event through, Ahlia University http://www.ahlia.edu.bh/--Bahrain’s first private university--or the public University of Bahrain http://www.uob.edu.bh/english/, so I considered this my college crowd. One of those in attendance was Art Jones, Media Center Director at Ahlia, a filmmaker in his own right and who was especially interested in the production aspects of the film. Art and I clicked for another reason—he is an American expat who had spent significant time in both Washington, DC and New York City, so we did a bit of “geocultural catching up,” namechecking neighborhoods and the like.

During the discussion, I had another interesting exchange with a university student who expressed disappointment in what he felt was the apolitical nature of the film. He had hoped to see more of an aggressive critique of American empire, of Islam as a tool in political discourse to critique political repression, and came away instead thinking New Muslim Cool was just about one person’s personal life. I responded with “Exactly! And sometimes political interventions are best when they occur on that level.” I suggested that he broaden his definition of what constitutes a political act, and consider how New Muslim Cool represents an important political intervention. When you have an entire population of people who have been systematically and historically portrayed in overly simplified ways, sometimes the most political act you can do is portray them in their complex humanity. New Muslim Cool’s Hamza shatters stereotypes of what a “Muslim” is, what a “Puerto Rican” is, what an “American” is, and even what a “man” is… by portraying the very universal struggles of a husband, brother, father, son, community member. The success of the film is its ability to challenge us, without alienating us; and in a climate often fraught with simplified binary conflicts, this is a key political intervention. The film may not address all the political points that my questioner wanted, but it doesn’t deny the existence of political grievance—it only portrays the way one person and one community seeks to redress those grievances.

Tuesday, August 3

Being interviewed by Ahdeya Ahmed for “Open Talk” on Bahrain Television, Bahrain Radio & Television Corporation Studios

On Tuesday morning, I met up with Embassy Press Specialist Hana Al Saeed who accompanied me to the facilities of the state-run Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation for an interview on “Open Talk” with anchor/interviewer Ahdeya Ahmed. The roughly 30-minute taped interview covered a range of topics related to New Muslim Cool, including the history of Islam in America, Muslim life in post-9/11 America, the relationship of hip hop and Islam, and how America’s democratic system has historically allowed for and been expanded by the struggles of minority groups for greater inclusion and representation.

The interview was broadcast in Bahrain on Sunday, August 8, and can be viewed here in three parts: http://www.zaheerali.com/tv/2010/8/8/new-muslim-cool-on-open-talk-bahrai...

New Muslim Cool Screening with Onside Bahrain at U.S. Embassy

The final screening was scheduled for Tuesday evening at the U.S. Embassy for members of Onside Bahrain http://www.onside.biz/, a volunteer support group for young people, mostly young professionals, who have worked closely on many events with the Embassy. Upon arriving at the Embassy with Hind Abdulla, I met with Rachel Graaf who then accompanied me to a meeting with the Honorable Adam Ereli, U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain. Ambassador Ereli was a gracious host and we had frank and candid discussion about my visit to Bahrain, my observations, and exchanges and encounters while there. We talked a little bit about my work on Islam in America, and how it enhanced my visit; and how my visit would subsequently inform my work. The Ambassador later joined the group for the film screening.

Audience awaits screening of New Muslim Cool at U.S. Embassy. Also seated (in back row) is the Honorable Adam Ereli, U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain

After the screening, we had another robust discussion on some of the issues raised in the film, especially on the issue of gender and on the distinction between religion and culture. One audience member said that she thought the film was sexist in that it did not show Muslim women in any prominent roles, nor did it show any Muslim women whose hair was not covered. I have to say in all the screenings I had done both in Bahrain and in America leading up to that point, I had never heard that criticism. I responded to her criticism with several points. One, the film was about the life of one character, Jason Hamza Perez, and so would expectedly be centered on his experiences. Two, the film’s narrative voice is in many ways reliant on the voices of four women—Hamza’s mother, his wife Rafiah, the Christian prison chaplain, and the Jewish poetry editor. Add to the fact that the filmmaker and producers are all women, it is difficult argue that women were marginalized in the film or its production. Additionally, the fact of whether or not a Muslim woman in America covers her hair does not correlate with her progressive (or reactionary) gender politics. The particular questioner in the audience did not have her hair covered, and my sense from my travels in Bahrain was that hair covering was seen by many there as a sign of traditionalism while uncovered hair a sign of progressive politics or modernity. In America, however, there are many women who cover their hair who are at the forefront of progressive gender politics within Muslim communities, and who serve prominent leadership roles within and beyond Muslim communities. I pointed to Hamza’s wife, Rafiah, who covers her hair and whom we see in the film as pursuing higher education and working outside the home, while Hamza performs many stay-at-home dad responsibilities.

I asked the questioner if she did not think that portrayal challenged conservative notions of gender; and she countered with “Muslim men don’t do those things.” When I asked her to clarify, pointing out that Hamza was in fact a “Muslim man,” she said, “Well, he’s American.” Her conflation of religion and culture in the first statement (“Muslim men don’t do those [domestic] things”) but distinction between “Muslim man” and “American” was fascinating; and provided me an opportunity to challenge her and the entire group to think more critically about how we use religious and cultural identities conveniently to either universalize or marginalize people’s experiences. I said, “It’s interesting that you call Hamza’s way of life ‘American,’ but consider yours ‘Muslim.’ Why, instead of saying, ‘Muslim men don’t do those things,’ didn’t you say ‘Bahraini men don’t do those things’?” By this time, there were a few Bahraini men in the audience who began to protest (humorously) that they did in fact perform domestic duties! But the basic point was made—that oftentimes what some Muslims promote as universal religious ideals are in actuality localized cultural mores; and that a failure to make the distinction between religion and culture can lead to marginalizing or devaluing other people’s experiences in Islam. Like my other exchanges, this was good-natured, but challenging both ways, and I was glad we had that conversation.

After screening New Muslim Cool at U.S. Embassy, pictured with members of Onside Bahrain, youth volunteer support group

Afterwards, I had a chance to meet more informally with the Onside Bahrain group, and to meet in person of some of their organizers—two in particular, Rashid Riaz & Abbas Khalil, whom I had already met via Facebook after seeing their online event announcement prior to my trip. Again, I highlight the importance of social media in making these connections. They offered to take me around sightseeing during any free time I had for the rest of my stay—an invitation that I would take them up on the following day.

The event received press coverage in the August 8 issue of the English Bahrain Tribune, a leading daily newspaper. And my visit also received coverage in Al Bilad newspaper (August 11) and Akhbar Alkhaleej (August 11).

This screening concluded my Embassy-sponsored itinerary, and I took advantage of the extra time I had (my return flight was not scheduled to leave until late Wednesday night) to sightsee and learn a little more about the cultural scene in Bahrain.

Bahrain Hip Hop Music Scene: “The Middle East is more than war and politics. We have other things to say.”

Thanks again to social media, I was able to connect with Tony Attalla http://www.facebook.com/cigawet a local Bahrain-based hip hop artist in advance of my trip and had a chance to talk with him about the local music scene. After the Embassy screening Tuesday night, Tony met up with me at the Gulf Hotel and we talked about his experiences growing up, how he encountered and was attracted to hip hop music and culture, and what his thoughts were for the future of the art form in Bahrain.

He was born and grew up in Kuwait to Lebanese and Egyptian parentage, and was the only one in his family to attend English-speaking school. He describes his family as a very traditionally Arabic family, but being Christian and non-Kuwaiti his early experiences growing up were that of an outsider. This sense of otherness, doubly experienced in Kuwaiti society and at home, is one of the factors that made him gravitate to the way early hip hop spoke to alienation and isolation. He spoke of being harassed by Kuwaiti police forces, and related this to the kind of frustration and anger expressed by African Americans in American hip hop. Although he is not Black, he said, he could understand what being on the outside was like.

His deepening interest and devotion to hip hop reads similarly to American artist biographies: a son of a musical father who initially rebelled against his father’s traditional Arab music, who had an early love of writing poetry, he benefited from technological advancements in digital production and transmission of music (his first source of rare hip hop was an IT (information technology) guy), to hone his own music productions. Now living in Bahrain, he finds it a much more open society than Kuwait. And he is part of a small but vibrant and growing hip hop scene that caters mostly to college audiences, music festival crowds, and club-goers. (Even with government crackdowns on alcohol consumption and other vices, Bahrain is regarded by some as the “Vegas” of the Gulf—connected to the much more conservative Saudi Arabia by causeway that is traveled weekly by Saudi’s seeking more culturally relaxed leisure activities on the weekends.)

He had recently achieved some prominence, garnering radio play for one of his songs on a popular morning show, and was busy working to produce his album. Like many in the U.S., he bemoans the commercialization of gangster tales and glorification of violence and misogyny in hip hop; but he is not seeking the other extreme on the political spectrum either. He considers the primary themes of his music to be love and fun, and wants to convey that people in the Middle East have a lot more to say about life than religious conflict, war, and violence. “We love, we eat, we have everyday normal experiences like everyone else.” This reminded me of my response to the student at the Alumni Club who wanted New Muslim Cool to be more overtly political. I told Tony that even though he doesn’t see his music as political, in a highly politicized context that seeks to flatten the human experience, his focus on love and life can be considered very political.

He is part of a growing collective of artists in Bahrain, whom I had hoped to meet, but time did not permit. Still it was a great opportunity to learn from his life story how hip hop—an art form that often speaks to the specific conditions and aspirations of Black and Brown and poor America—spoke to a young kid growing up on the margins of Kuwaiti Arab culture halfway around the globe.

Wednesday, August 4

My flight returning back to the states was late Wednesday night, so I took advantage of Rashid Riaz’s & Abbas Khalil’s (of Onside Bahrain) offer to take me around sightseeing. Sights included the Bahrain International Circuit—the home of Bahrain’s Grand Prix, an annual Formula One championship race that attracts tourists from all over the world—one of Bahrain’s mega-malls, and most interesting to me the Bab-el-Bahrain souk. Although commercialized and geared for tourists, at the souk I was able to go into the workshop of the goldsmiths and see them working on the different stages of their craft. Finally, a visit to Bahrain would not be complete without trying out the shisha. I must confess I was not very good at it, but at least I can say I tried (smile). My time spent with Rashid & Abbas was a great opportunity to talk with Bahrainis in an informal setting and getting a sense of what life is like “on the ground.”

Thursday, August 5

Finally after my day with the sights, I departed for the airport for my late Wednesday night flight from Bahrain, with a layover in London, and a Thursday morning arrival in New York City.

Final Thoughts

In many ways Bahrain is a cultural crossroads, combining traditional and modern sensibilities, and facing some of the same challenges that exist in other parts of the world. The global influence of American consumer capitalism is very clear—I remember asking the hotel concierge for her shopping recommendations and she began to direct me to the megamalls, until she realized I was American and would only find there what I find here. I was anxious to see local artisans, and though my trip to the souk was rewarding in that way (especially seeing the goldsmiths work), there was also a lot at the souk that reminded me of Canal Street in New York City—the shopping district known for selling cheap touristy products and fake Gucci and Louis Vuitton bags. The megamalls, which are an absolute haven from the 100+ degree temperatures, reflect the same consumer impulse.

Politically, Bahrain is technically a constitutional monarchy, and it was unclear during my visit how dissent is handled. I do know that the flow of information is controlled via blocking websites, etc., so it certainly is not as open a society as in the U.S. Still technology and social media in particular provide Bahrainis with access to people transnationally, and the influence of cultural productions like New Muslim Cool should not be underestimated in facilitating unmediated connections across borders.

Toward that end, I saw first hand the potential for initiatives in cultural diplomacy like the American Documentary Showcase. One of the most important elements of these exchanges that stuck in my mind was authenticity. Documentaries have the power of conveying authentic experiences in a way few other cultural productions can. In the case of America’s relationship to Muslim peoples around the world, films like New Muslim Cool take on extra significance. Showcasing an Islam that is indigenous to America disrupts attempts to posit Islam and America in binary opposition to each other, and challenges Muslims to disentangle their notions of culture and religion. Having guest speakers who come from that experience, able to speak with a voice that is both authentically Muslim and American makes the case even clearer. In all my encounters in Bahrain, I found genuine surprise about the extent of Islam’s presence in America—its long history and its significant growth in America. I came away thinking, we need more of these encounters, to challenge each other without alienating each other.