Educational Media Reviews Online

In this documentary, Zarqa Nawaz explores the segregation of women in American mosques. She traces the increasing trend of erecting barriers between men and women and discusses the effect this is having upon the Muslim community. For example, she points out how a lot of young Muslim women are no longer attending mosques due to the feelings of isolation and rejection these barriers create. Nawaz interviews men and women from several Muslim communities across the United States and Canada, including several male and female scholars and activists who are working in the area of Muslim gender relations. She also provides voice-over narrations which help to explain the history and background of the issue and also help to provide a smooth transition from one interview into another. Although Nawaz is strongly against the erection of barriers in mosques, to her credit, she presents both sides of the argument, giving enough evidence for the opposing side so that the viewer can at least understand the philosophy that underlies the segregation practice. The piece is not entirely balanced, however, (as if that’s ever possible) and definitely comes off supporting Nawaz’s views.

This video is filled with thoughtful conversation and interviews that provide a great deal of insight into the issue of gender relations within the Muslim community. One very refreshing aspect of the documentary is that the opinions gathered are all from members of the Muslim community. Nawaz does not interview any non-Muslims on the subject, but allows the Muslim community to speak for itself. With the news so full of non-Muslims commenting on Muslim practices, it’s nice to hear various opinions from the insiders, for a change. Some short animated segments add a slight bit of whimsy to the subject and help to provide a nice break from the interviews and discussions.

The audio and video qualities are excellent in this VHS. In a few places where a speaker’s dialect might make them difficult to understand, subtitles are provided. This video is recommended for all high school and academic libraries.