JAMES LILLIN
Staff Writer
On April 26, 2017, in McEwen 209 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Pride Alliance will host a screening of “A Sinner in Mecca” by documentarian Parvez Sharma, followed by a discussion with Sharma immediately after the screening.
The idea for the event originally came when Pride Alliance’s adviser, John Arnold, stumbled across “A Sinner in Mecca” on Netflix and was blown away by the film.
“The title and description immediately intrigued me because positive documentaries and films about Islam are rare, but one about a gay Muslim man undertaking a critique of contemporary conservative Islam and its repression of its LGBTQ community is unheard of,” said Arnold. “I found this film to be brave, sensitive, nuanced, informative and enlightening not only about Islam itself, but its engagement with contemporary issues of gender identity.”
“A Sinner in Mecca” documents Sharma’s journey to Mecca, as well as his own struggle between his faith, his race and his sexuality. It was this intersectional viewpoint that compelled Arnold to reach out to Sharma.
“Intersectionality stresses that gendered and sexual identities do not exist in a void, but instead are shaped and molded by race, ethnicity, religion, age and socio-economic status,” said Arnold. “I attended the meeting as one of the advisers for Pride Alliance and as board members threw out names, I suggested Parvez Sharma. Though a gay Muslim from India, he now lives with his husband in [New York City.] Everyone liked the idea, we asked, and he accepted our invitation.”
Sharma recently hosted a screening and talkback session of “A Sinner in Mecca” at Harvard University, demonstrating the film’s current relevance.
“To be completely honest, now is as important a time as ever given the current political climate,” said sophomore women’s and gender studies major Vanessa Leounis. “Sharma is an openly gay Muslim man, and I think it’s very important for people to see and recognize that intersection, especially with the events that take place during the film.”
Leounis is the current vice president of Pride Alliance and hopes that Sharma’s film helps to foster tolerance at Fredonia.
“I want people to walk away understanding that each and every one of us is different, and we don’t all experience life the same way,” said Leounis. “None of us are the same, and that’s what makes us all important.”
Arnold believes that Fredonia’s overall progressive attitude will make for an especially engaging and impactful screening.
“His appearance … underscores the progressive seeking spirit that pervades this campus and demonstrates Fredonia’s openness to diverse communities and the commitment of this campus to inclusiveness,” said Arnold. “This is particularly the case in light of our current political climate with its anti-immigrant stance and anti-intellectual tone.”
Arnold also sees this as a particularly valuable opportunity to educate students on the reality of Islam, a religion that he feels is too often unfairly maligned.
“I would hope that a student attending this event will have learned something about Islam that they did not know previously and also leave with an affirmation of our common humanity and interconnectedness with one another,” said Arnold.
The event is free, unticketed and open to the public.