Jihad: Searching for Answers

Jihad: Searching for Answers is primarily a talking-head compilation of interviews with American Muslims, exploring their understanding of the concept of “jihad,” while also measuring the degree to which they feel isolated in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The film sets the emotional stakes high by opening with news footage of the destruction of the World Trade Towers, but after blithely noting that Islamic extremists “have been polluting the Middle East with their evil thought for decades,” filmmaker Sarem Yadegari simply offers comments from the Muslim community—academics, religious spokespersons, and general believers—all of whom are asked the same questions, beginning with their definitions of Islam and jihad and following up with issues regarding social acceptance, common misconceptions about Islam, and their feelings about Middle Eastern politics, particularly in terms of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Most of the interviewees are extraordinarily articulate, though some—most notably, a trio of California college students—are considerably less so. But nearly all take a predictably reasonable and conciliatory tone, with only the occasional slightly more radical opinion, such as one participant's reluctant admission that he can understand why Palestinians would turn to violence under unjust occupation. Although not particularly penetrating or revealing, Jihad: Searching for Answers nevertheless presents the views of a group little heard from in contemporary mass media, and therefore is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)