The Education of Mohammad Hussein

Detroit is home to the largest Muslim community in the United States, a city with several mosques and a number of schools for Muslim children—who have only known a post-9/11 world. Filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's HBO-aired documentary The Education of Mohammad Hussein takes viewers into this culture to meet some of the families, teachers, religious leaders, and ordinary kids—American citizens who face discrimination both from government authorities (who treat them as potential threats to national security) and anti-Muslim bigots fueled by ignorance and outrageous assumptions. Against this backdrop, the camera visits classrooms, social gatherings (in which adolescent girls and boys don't interact), and religious centers where children memorize the Koran under guidance. Meanwhile, the arrival of anti-Muslim activist Terry Jones (who famously threatened to burn the Koran) in the city raises tensions, particularly when Jones leads an angry rally. Informative, suspenseful, and ultimately optimistic (introducing an interfaith alliance between Muslims, Jews, and Christians that inspires hope for the future), this powerful documentary is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)