When one thinks of the American Deep South, the image of veiled Muslim students strolling the University of Alabama campus is the last thing that comes to mind. VOICES OF MUSLIM WOMEN FROM THE US SOUTH is a documentary that explores the Muslim culture through the lens of five University of Alabama Muslim students. The film tackles how Muslim women carve a space for self-expression in the Deep South and how they negotiate their identities in a predominantly Christian society that often has unflattering views about Islam and Muslims. Through interviews with students and faculty at Alabama, this film examines representations and issues of agency by asking: How do Muslim female students carve a space in a culture that thinks of Muslims as terrorists and Muslim women as backward?
“In an environment where words such as ‘extremism' and ‘violence' are all too prevalent, the voices in this film ring true, pure, proud and enlightened. VOICES tackles head on the plethora of stereotypes about Muslim women…all in simple, accessible and refreshing clarity.” Azza Karam, Senior Advisor on Culture, UNFPA
"This short film is important not only because it gives American Muslim women a voice to explain their own experiences in their own words, but also because it problematizes caricatures of Muslim women while highlighting an array of looks, opinions and styles, all on equal terms." Iman Boukadoum Esq., Activist and Human Rights Lawyer
This sensitive film draws us into the compelling life-stories of Muslim female students…who must navigate issues of race, gender, ethnicity, and class on a daily basis, along with their generally misunderstood minority religious status. Recommended for all undergraduates, student groups, faculty, and administrators who need or seek intercultural understanding." Rosalind I. J. Hackett, PhD, Professor University of Tennessee
“Maha Marouan and Rachel Raimist succeed in delightfully portraying the kaleidoscope of young Muslim women’s realities in the heart of the Southern United States — in and of itself an unheard of first.”Azza Karam Senior Advisor on Culture, UNFPA
Citation
Main credits
Raimist, Rachel (film director)
Marouan, Maha (film producer)
Marouan, Maha (on-screen participant)
Dexter, Kyerra (film producer)
Other credits
Edited by Tiffany Reese; cinematography by Jazz Franklin; original score by Nawar Ahmed and Kevin MacLeod.
