There have been lots of programmes about Muslims in the past few years – some have been positive but many have not. Post 9/11 and then 7/7 it was inevitable that film makers, writers and journalists would want to cover issues around Islam, terrorism, suicide bombing and the spreading of hate.I myself am the commissioner behind The Cult of the Suicide Bomber and Jihad – important programmes that explored what motivates people to commit acts of terror and war, supposedly in the name of their religion.
About a year or two ago however, I realised that though these films were important, we had lost a sense of balance. We weren’t making enough films about the belief system of conventional Islam. The extreme fringe of any faith is not the most representative voice and I felt it was important that we didn’t continually focus upon it.
Whilst in Jerusalem last year I was discussing the possibility of filming at the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third most holy site in Islam. I was offered the chance to live stream the mosque’s Friday prayers and, whilst this wouldn’t work for the Channel 4 audience, this was the spark that lead to The Seven Wonders of the Muslim World.
Initially I thought of dedicating a whole day to follow the five prayers across the world. Despite this idea being a logistical and scheduling nightmare, the head of Channel 4, Julian Bellamy, was intrigued straight away. He immediately saw the potential and encouraged find a format that would work. Eventually we hit on the “Seven Wonders” concept – selecting seven iconic buildings that were not only spectacular, but that helped us to illustrate just how diverse Islam is – an important aspect of the series.
The director, Faris Kermani, dedicated nine months of his life to this project. Dealing with the Saudi’s to get into Mecca has aged him, but I’m glad he persevered. The Saudi authorities were very helpful as were the Waqf, the religious body who run the Islamic sites in Jerusalem. It’s a testimony to how Channel 4’s religious output is respected in these countries that we managed to pull off what would have been virtually impossible for other broadcasters to do.
This week has also seen the broadcast of The Qu’ran – a two-hour film by award winning film maker Antony Thomas. Antony came to me with this unique project well over a year ago – it excited both me and the channel and was commissioned within days. Running The Qu’ran and The Seven Wonders together has allowed us to maximise their impact in the schedule and send out a strong message that we are focussing on belief, something that has not been done before.
If Antony was not in love with Islam before he made this film, then I believe that he is now. He travelled the whole Muslim world talking to scholars, religious leaders and ordinary Muslims to deliver what I feel is a truly inspirational and sensational film. I am more than proud to be associated with it and find it truly humbling that a film commissioned by me is the first in Britain, and probably the western world, to tackle the subject of the Qur’an.
Both The Qur’an and The Seven Wonders of the Muslim World have been emotional roller coasters but they each illustrate why Channel 4 is such an important part of the landscape of British life. No other broadcaster would have made these films, put them in prime time and, most importantly of all, been proud of it. Due to the very nature of television, I don’t expect everyone to be happy with either project, but I believe they are part of a new understanding of Islam in the west and I’m glad to have contributed to this in some small way.
