Fitrah 2013

Directed by Latheem Nair

Muhsin Hendricks, the first openly gay imam from South Africa, documents how homosexuality and gender identity are handled in Muslim countries. For this, he researches not just in Africa, but also in India, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Gays, lesbians, and transgender Muslims portray in front of his camera their difficult situations in societies characterised by Islam, and their personal experiences with ostracism and violence. Moreover, the film analyses, from a Koranic viewpoint, the historical role of homosexuals in Islam, and criticises mistaken interpretations of written records such as the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, which in religious discourse has often been cited to denounce homosexuals. With this courageous film, the protagonists and the director show that gay, lesbian, and transgender Muslims are no longer willing to accept being defencelessly persecuted and deprived of their rights.