"UnMosqued is a phenomenal film that raises the bar of a debate that is vital to our community at this point in time. It has definitely sparked interest and got our community talking about these pressing issues. The film’s point was to highlight grievances and shortcomings. It certainly did its job in that respect." ---UnMosqued: the Toronto Premiere Film Review
"This documentary was a fascinating one to watch and a challenging one to review — as it contained layers upon layers of emotion and meaning. Each layer representing a reality of some sort in our ummah’s diverse communities." ---Seeker's Guidance unMosqued Film Review by Naira
About UnMosqued
UnMosqued is a documentary film which aims to highlight the growing need for reform in many of the mosques found in America. The purpose of the documentary is to engage a group of people who have been disconnected from their local mosque and explore the various reasons that have led to this sentiment. It is clear that many youth who are likely to be second or even third generation Americans have felt judged or unwelcome at a mosque. It may be the degree of friendliness or a lack of ownership that breeds this feeling. Masajid may not be doing enough to attract and retain the youth, which further alienates the future members of the community from using the mosque space for their spiritual growth.
UnMosqued aims to explore this growing unease with the masjid space and why it exists. One clear factor is the cultural divide that pervades the American Mosque landscape. According to The American-Mosque 2011 report, “3/4 of all mosques are dominated by one ethnic group. In most cases this one group is either South Asian, Arab, or African American,” (p.14). As Muslims become integrated within American society and grow up in a diverse multi-racial environment, it becomes increasingly uncomfortable to enter a mosque that is predominated by a certain culture. Millenials and Generation Xers do not have as strong of a relationship with their parents’ country of origin which exacerbates the discomfort they feel when entering ethnic-based masajid. Granted, these mosques have been formed in order to provide comfort and community to the large influx of Muslims that have come from diverse parts of the world to America. While it has successfully accomplished that goal, the catch 22 is that it will not sustain such comfort with future generations while on American soil.
We are indebted to the sacrifices the first generation of American Muslims provided us with, including the infrastructure and community organizing that was required to build our current mosques and Islamic schools. According to the American-Mosque 2011 report study, in a little over 30 years, they established over 2000 mosques all across the country, and today, only 10% of all Muslims in America attend these mosques. Sadly, most of the established mosques in America have created a large amount of confusion in the minds of the Millenials and the Generation Xers between what is a cultural practice and what is essential Islam.
The problem we are facing is a subtle one that very few people are aware of. Many Muslims enter the mosque and think that what we see and experience is normal and that this is how a mosque should be, while in reality, what we oftentimes experience in the mosque is nothing more than a cultural interpretation of Islam that does not take into account the American context. We hope the film will inspire people who are unmosqued to feel a sense of responsibility and to take the film to their communities, watch it with them, and have serious discussions as an effort to remedy the dire situation we find ourselves in. We hope the film will move the elder generation to make some needed changes in our mosques in order that we not lose the future generations of Muslims in America.
FILM REVIEWS
UnMosqued: the Toronto Premiere Film Review
UnMosqued is a phenomenal film that raises the bar of a debate that is vital to our community at this point in time. It has definitely sparked interest and got our community talking about these pressing issues. The film’s point was to highlight grievances and shortcomings. It certainly did its job in that respect.
Punk and Pious Muslimah unMosqued Film Review
The film itself was intriguing and inspiring. They really put time and effort into making this—interviewing, following stories, traveling across the U.S. The overall result was that no matter where you live in the U.S., you can watch this film and realize that the problems and challenges you face in your community are not so different than the problems and challenges faced in a community 3,000 miles away. But it also showed us that not all American Muslims are the same and not all American Muslims want the same thing—giving power in the hands of few to make decisions in a non-democratic system does not make a community. It makes a tyranny. That is not Islam.
Seeker's Guidance unMosqued Film Review by Naira
This documentary was a fascinating one to watch and a challenging one to review — as it contained layers upon layers of emotion and meaning. Each layer representing a reality of some sort in our ummah’s diverse communities.
Atlanta Muslim unMosqued Film Review
...there is no denying that Unmosqued documents serious problems worthy of serious discussion. It can indeed start an important conversation, as producer Mahmud set out to do. Whether that conversation results in any positive change could depend on whether the broader Muslim-American public reacts to Unmosqued as positively as the audience at Georgia Tech did.
The film is a start of the conversation by asking the first question: why are you unmosqued? The interviewees leave us with further thoughts: is there anything you can do to go about changing the mosque? Will you do it? This film is for anyone who has felt alienated from the mosque at any point in time. I would also encourage those who haven’t had such experiences to watch it, because it is a great learning opportunity and to understand the experiences of others.
PAST SCREENINGS
Feb/28/2014 London Canada Screening (Event Here)
Mar/04/2014 University of Toronto, Canada Screening (Event Here)
Mar/24/2014 NYU, New York Screening (Event Here)
Mar/29/2014 Princeton University Screening (Event Here)
Apr/01/2014 Yale University, New Haven, Ct Screening
Apr/05/2014 Islam Alive, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada Screening
Apr/11/2014 University of Chicago Screening (Event Here)
Apr/11/2014 University of Michigan Screening
Apr/12/2014 IAGR Rockford Illinois Screening
Apr/18/2014 Memphis, TN Screening (Event Here)
Apr/19/2014 University of Maryland, MD Screening (Event Here)
Apr/20/2014 Duke University, NC Screening (Event Here)
Apr/22/2014 Skidmore College, NY Screening
Apr/25/2014 Miftaahul Uloom Academy, NJ Screening (Event Here)
Apr/26/2014 Dearborn Michigan Screening (Event Here)
Apr/26/2014 Atlanta, GA Screening (Event Here)
Apr/28/2014 UPenn, PA Screening
May/09/2014 El-Paso Texas Screening
May/10/2014 Ottowa, Canada
May/11/2014 ISBCC, Boston MA Screening
May/16/2014 American Muslim Community Centers, Florida unMosqued Screening
May/16/2014 Islamic Center of Irvine (ICOI), UnMosqued Screening (Event Here)
May/17/2014 Impact Southern California Screening (Event Here)
May/23/2014 Houston TX Screening (Event here)
May/24/2014 Wisconsin Mosque Screening
Jun/01/2014 Flint MI Screening
Jun/07/2014 West Springfield MA Screening
