New Muslim Cool - award-winning documentary on Muslim hip hop
In the trailer for brand new documentary film New Muslim Cool, a radio talk show host says the following to rapper Hamza Perez:
You are a single dad, a Muslim, a Puerto Rican, you are from the hood, you are an artist, a rapper - you sound like America’s worst nightmare.”
The film centres on Perez, a former drug dealer who converted to Islam and started over as a Muslim preacher in North Pittsburgh. Opening a mosque in a rough neighbourhood and attracting a sizeable following with his unconventional fusion of Islam and hip hop, Perez soon arouses the suspicion of both, local drug dealers and Homeland Security.
Eventually, the FBI raids his mosque and Perez has to come to terms with post-9/11 realities. The archenemy of the state is no longer the African- or Latin-American drug dealer. Muslims are the nation’s new usual suspects, often seen as little more than terrorists-in-waiting.
So far, so familiar. But, luckily, the film doesn’t end there. After the raid, instead of turning his back on society and minding his own business, Perez challenges his own reservations and begins reaching out to Christians and Jews in his own unusual way.
Great story, great music.
The film was awarded the best full-length film on freedom award at the International Documentary Film Festival in Doha earlier this month.
PBS is showing New Muslim Cool on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 10PM.
For more info on the film and further release dates, click here.
Tags: Christian, culture, drug dealer, Hamza Perez, hip hop, Homeland Security, International Documentary Film Festival in Doha, Islam, Jewish, New Muslim Cool, PBS, Pittsburgh, religion, trailer, war on terror
