One has to hand it to filmmaker for making this brave documentary on the struggle of Muslim homosexuals.  The Holy Book demands death or rather ‘stoning’ of practicing gays and Sharma has had hate mail ranging from condemnation to hell to forgiveness while making the movie.  The faces of many interviewed in the film had to be blurred to protect the ‘guilty’.

Watching A JIHAD FOR LOVE brings back fond memories of the 80’s when homosexuality was just beginning to be understood by the world – i.e. both straight and closeted gays.  The coming-out, newly found acceptance and freedom (for those Muslims like the few who emigrated to Canada) of oppressed homosexuals are vividly displayed on screen.  Sharma has included a fair cross section of gays – both males and females from all Muslim lands including France, Saudi Arabia, India and Turkey.  Most disturbing of all is what transpires in Iran.

The term Jihad has been taken to mean holy war in the western world.  Sharma stresses in the movie that jihad actually means religious reasoning.  No doubt a fair part of his movie is devoted to the study and reasoning of the problems arising from the co-existence of Islam and homosexuals.  The recurring words of the interviewees are: “Why is the act so hateful when there is so much love.”

Sharma’s movie takes a moderate road though obviously biased favourably towards homosexuality.  Even the religious leaders in the film are not hateful but struggle to comprehend what they are unfamiliar with.  This is in stark contrast to the Christian faith where Christian fundamentalists go all out with hate and venom (cross referencing FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO and JESUS CAMP).  A common point is that true hate comes from religious fanatics, though the filmmakers dare not say this statement out for fear of reprisals.  (Please note that this is my observation which you are free to disagree with: so please do not send me hate email.  No more hate, please!)

A JIHAD FOR LOVE ends appropriately on a high note with an open religious discussion on the topic of homosexuality.  No conclusions were reached, but the intent marks a progressive step towards the bridge between homosexuality and Islam.