New Muslim Cool

New Muslim Cool! That sounds interesting. It’s a new PBS Documentary that explores the least known dimension of Islam. New Muslim Cool is Islam as you have never seen it. It is also hip-hop as you have probably never heard it. This film gives audiences an insider’s view of a little-known cultural fusion between Muslims and street beats that has been developing since the very beginnings of hip-hop culture. The result is a surprising challenge to stereotypes of both Muslims and urban youth in America that encourages viewers to look critically at the “clash of civilizations” between Islam and the West.

The summary of the movie is as follows: Puerto Rican-American rapper Hamza Pérez pulled himself out of drug dealing and street life 12 years ago and became a Muslim. Now he’s moved to Pittsburgh’s tough North Side to start a new religious community, rebuild his shattered family and take his message of faith to other young people through hard-hitting hip-hop music. But when the FBI raids his mosque, Hamza must confront the realities of the post-9/11 world, and himself. New Muslim Cool takes viewers on Hamza’s ride through streets, slums and jail cells — following his spiritual journey to some surprising places in an America that never stops changing. It is produced in association with Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) and the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM).
For those who missed the premiere of the documentary today, the PBS site has the online video available.
For Jennifer Maytorena Taylor, the film-maker, it was a profound experience. To Jennifer it also seemed like a great way to talk about post-9/11 America, and in particular to look critically at some of the things we were being told about the way the world works — for example, that there’s a clash of civilizations between Muslims and non-Muslims. It seemed to her that to look at a group of young American Muslims doing something as quintessentially American as making hip-hop would perhaps be a good way to look critically at that paradigm.
The movie does not have the high drama sequences but highlights the internal experiences of the Muslim community and the off-stage humility of Hamza is most appealing. The personality of Hamza shatters the politically advocated Muslim stereotypes across the U.S. New Cool Muslim is a must watch.