If there were misperceptions about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the West in the past, the tragic events of September 11 have only served to magnify and multiply them. Day in and day out, the western media acts with extraordinary alacrity to cash on any and every opportunity to malign Islam, distort the contents of the Holy Qur’an, and besmear the image of the venerable person of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Wantonly and wickedly, the media continues to make insinuations and hurl disparagement on a faith which lays overriding emphasis on peace and whose 1.2 billion followers inhabit the northern and southern hemisphere peaceably. They are an aggrieved lot on several counts yet they unfailingly demonstrate the will to live in harmony with neighbors and fellow human beings inhabiting the planet. It is against this sordid background that an update on the production of the two-hour documentary “Muhammad the Prophet (PBUH): His Life and Times” by producer Michael Abd Al-Majid Wolfe on Saturday, January 12 2002 at the residence of a prominent entrepreneur in Orange County assumes singular importance.
The news that the documentary is “almost complete” and would be aired by the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) after mid-April would be received with jubilation by American Muslims and adherents of Islam in different parts of the world.
Entitled “Muhammad the Prophet (PBUH): His Life and Times,” the two-hour documentary seeks to dispel misperceptions about the Prophet and Islam. Its value to the audience will be immense. According to the project description, “While Muslims will find value in seeing the story of the Prophet on television, the intended audience for this documentary are non-Muslim Americans, who it is hoped, will learn new facts and gain a fresh impression of Islam, perhaps encountering first accurate information about Muhammad (PBUH)…Many viewers may be surprised to learn that Islam includes among its prophets such Biblical figures as Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. They will also come to see that Muhammad (PBUH) was mortal, not divine, and certainly not the focus of the religion, as many people in America suppose. They will learn that he married, raised a family, earned a living, and was respected in his society until, at the age of forty, he experienced a religious transformation that set him at odds with his own tribe and city…. Many Americans know very little about his life or what he actually did. What passes for knowledge is often inaccurate. The proposed documentary aims to fill that gap and correct inaccuracies, helping to give Americans a greater understanding of Islam…”
The news that the laudable venture undertaken at the behest of the Unity Productions Foundation is nearing completion is happy tidings and would sound music to the ears of the Muslim Americans who have acutely felt the backlash of the September 11 tragedy. The producers and crew of cameramen, editors, and producers, deserve accolades, as also the Chairman of the Unity Productions Foundation, for diligently applying themselves to the task and undertaking the production of the documentary in the time-frame stipulated at the launching of the project. They have demonstrated extraordinary zeal and their round-the-clock. endeavors have taken them to the historical cities of Makkah, Medina, Hijaz, and Jerusalem. In the words of producer Michael Wolfe, the crew had a “remarkable experience” during its visits to the holy places, visits which have “created enthusiasm for the next part of the film.”
Given his erudition and standing, Mr. Wolfe has been specially qualified to undertake the task of presenting the truth and dispelling the deliberate falsehoods about the Prophet (PBUH) and Islam. He is the author of an illuminating study ‘The Hajj: An American’s Pilgrimage to Mecca’, an historical anthology ‘One Thousand Roads to Mecca: Ten Centuries of Travelers Writing about the Muslim Pilgrimage,’ and other books. In 1997, Mr. Wolfe wrote and narrated a special Hajj report from Mecca for ABC Nightline. The program was nominated for Peabody, George Polk, Overseas Press Club and Emmy awards; it received the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s Award for that year. One would therefore welcome Mr. Wolfe’s assurance that the documentary would help to carry the story of Islam and the Prophet (PBUH) into mainstream America in a way that “Muhammad is a revered name in US society” and Muslims could live in this country like respectable people rather than cast in the stereotypical role of ‘fundamentalists’ and ‘terrorists’.
As Muslims, it is our bounden duty to support this venture wholeheartedly and to ensure that the completion of the project is not delayed for want of funds. It is imperative for each one of us to contribute generously to this noble cause so that the documentary is aired on schedule. It is equally important for us to support the venture after it has been completed and launched. The documentary’s screening at schools, churches, synagogues, and inter-faith moots would bring about a wholesome change in Americans’ view of Islam and the Prophet (PBUH).