An Original Documentary Film for American Public TV

Synopsis

“Islam is the most misunderstood religion of all” – Karen Armstrong

Among the misunderstood aspects of Islam, women are at the forefront. Since September 11^th and the subsequent war against terrorism, the television and newspapers have been broadcasting women clad in head to foot “burquas”-veils, a symbol of their oppression at the hands of the Taliban.

This is not the first time Muslim women have been singled out as those that need to be saved. During times of conflict with Islamic regimes, western journalists and politicians place a strong emphasis on the Muslim woman’s veil and the notion that once they free these women from suppressive Islamic regimes, the first thing they will do is discard their veils. However, that has not happened in Afghanistan.

The West has yet to understand the women of Islam…

This documentary shows how stereotypes about Muslim women and their veils came into being and reveals the truth about the tradition of covering in Muslim society.

The documentary takes us to Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and USA and we hear Muslim women talk about why they do or do not veil.

The tradition of veiling is put in a context by showing what the Islamic text says about veiling and what the practice was in the early days of Islam.