Two public TV projects for 2002 aim to explain Islam Originally published in Current, Oct. 22, 2001 By Jacqueline Conciatore Muhammad and Muslims—two separate two-hour projects in development for PBS distribution next year—will take different approaches to educating the public about a rapidly growing faith that, until recently, seemed to hold little interest for most Americans. The award-winning producers of the two projects—Michael Schwarz and Alvin Perlmutter—are talking about combining their good-sized outreach budgets to collaborate on community-based programs to increase interfaith understanding. The producers say that events since the morning of Sept. 11 have not greatly altered their plans for content but may add new logistical challenges — complicating Perlmutter’s plans for filming in the Middle East, for example. Events also have created a greater sense of urgency, says Perlmutter, who aims to complete production of Muslims in March, two months earlier than previously planned. Schwarz’s Muhammad will travel back and forth between past and present, using practicing Muslims in the U.S. to tell the story of the 7th century prophet and explore his significance today. In contrast, Perlmutter’s Muslims has a global scope but strictly contemporary timeframe. The Perlmutter project seeks to illustrate the huge diversity of religious practice and interpretations of law. It will also highlight the kinship among Judaism, Christianity and Islam, such as their sharing of prophets and principles, says Perlmutter. The production team is done filming in Malaysia and Turkey and plans to film in Iran, Africa and Egypt as well as the United States. The program has a $2.1 million production budget and $750,000 outreach budget. Perlmutter’s Independent Production Fund is also producing four half-hours for ABC’s Nightline that will focus on how Islamic people view the West—"why they are wary of us and concerned about our influence, primarily on a moral basis," says Perlmutter. The Nightline segments are scheduled to air in December. Schwarz is producing Muhammad with two American journalists who have converted to Islam, Michael Wolfe and Alex Kronemer. Wolfe, who wrote The Hadj: An American’s Pilgrimage to Mecca, reported from the Mecca pilgrimage for Nightline and Kronemer acted as a commentator during CNN’s week-long live coverage. One of the challenges of doing a program about the prophet is a religious edict against showing his face. "Some of the storytelling techniques that would normally be available are not," Schwarz says. The contemporary perspective gets around that problem. "We talk about this as history in the present tense—history that’s alive today, and alive in the hearts and minds of American Muslims," says Schwarz. "We saw our program as an opportunity to tell a story not just about Muhammad, but about American Muslims who feel this deep connection to him." The program focuses, for example, on an African-American man and Muslim who is chief of staff for a member of Congress. His efforts to apply principles of fairness in daily dealmaking open a window on Muhammad’s own negotiations and dealings as a religious and political leader. Scenes featuring a "transcultural nurse" in Dearborn, Mich.—whose job is to help Muslims negotiate the health care system—lead the way to a discussion about Muhammad’s views on caring for the sick and dying. The projects follow another major PBS series on Islam, Robert Gardner’s Islam: Empire of Faith, which was primarily historical, recounting the rise of Islamic power and faith during its first 1,000 years. PBS originally aired the series in May and concluded a second airing last week. Schwarz says the events of Sept. 11 won’t drastically change Muhammad’s content. "We always planned to address the questions of Islam’s attitude toward violence and jihad and paradise, through Muhammad’s story," he says. "I think what Sept. 11 and the rest will do is sharpen our focus on that part of the story." Like Perlmutter, he sees his program as offering a deeper perspective on subjects such as conduct in warfare and jihad. "The greater jihad for Muhammad was the inner, spiritual struggle to live a life of submission and devotion to God," he says. Muhammad has a $2.5 million budget for production and $1 million for outreach. The program is awaiting word on its CPB grant proposal and has received tremendous grassroots support from Muslim Americans, he says. Schwarz’s team is working with the Council on Islamic Education to develop materials for middle- and high-school students. "We’re hoping our two programs will be received as companion programs," says Schwarz. "They’re both really important right now and together will give viewers a unique understanding of what the religion is and who its followers are."

Perlmutter's crew filmed in a mosque in Isfahan, Iran.

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