"Being Muslim myself who lived in the West I felt that it was my obligation, my duty, to tell the truth about Islam. It is a religion that has a 700-million following, yet it's so little known about it, which surprised me. I thought I should tell the story that will bring this bridge, this gap to the West." – Moustapha Akkad, director of "The Message"
And for this visionary effort, I respectfully applaud the late Syrian director who made the inspiring drama and haunting epic celebrating the birth of Islam, a faith that has reached today the billion of followers. So little is yet known about it and what is known doesn't prevent it from certainly being the most misrepresented, misunderstood and openly disregarded of all the religions.
Still, Akkad's initial intention didn't fail, nor had "The Message" lost its cultural significance. the noble purpose of the film was simply diluted in a mass of events and uncontrolled sociocultural representations that contributed to erode the image of Islam within the average Occidental eye. Ultimately, for one film trying to depict the positive values for which Islam stood, the scarf, suicide bombers, hijackers, the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the Great Djihad or the Prophet-drawing controversy contributed to a whole negative mythology damaging the image of Islam.
Indeed, the Green Scare still prevails and it's even sadder that Akkad, himself, was killed, along with his daughter, in a terrorist attack in Jordan in 2005. But this tragic irony of fate should also give the benefit of doubt toward Islam when it's the most faithful and respectable followers that are killed by minorities pretending to be of their own. The first victims of terrorism in the Islamic world are Muslims indeed; sadly, the media are so prejudiced that they're most likely to associate Islam with a fatalistic image of violence and intolerance, while its Universalist message was specifically delivered to stand against the very injustices on which it is blamed by the detractors.
The film opens in the Mecca of the sixth century, where people from different regions of the Arabic peninsula came to pagan pilgrimages. At that time, like the Merchants who were banished from the Temple by Jesus, some rich exploiters made a real business out of a religious obedience counting no less than 300 idols, all represented in statues and totem-like figures. Slavery naturally existed, so did such infamous 'traditions' as baby girls' burials. But the days of these barbarian practices were numbered and rumor had it that Muhammad met the Ange Gabriel and received a Revelation. Muhammad was an illiterate shepherd in his forties but the Miracle happened when he was capable to read the Divine Message. Islam's founding event was the miracle of Muhammad's reading, which says enough about the importance of knowledge as a virtue more valuable than any skills at fighting.
Muhammad and the first ranks of martyrs standing behind him would become a threat to the Order. The film illustrates from the contrast between Meccan practices and Muslims, the true nature of Islam: tolerance, justice and total equality. One of the most symbolical and powerful moments come when Bilal, the Ethiopian slave, refuses to slaughter a man who was stating that everyone was equal in Islam, which earned him a worse punishment. Bilal would ultimately become the first muezzin of Islam's history, the voice that reassembles Muslims to the mosque for the prayers, and it's still a man's voice that continues to unite Muslims in all over the world. There is this constant idea of the world as a whole, of men and women as one people submitted to one God, as the first pillar of Islam is the testimony of faith, that there is no god but God (Allah) and Muhammad is his apostle.
And speaking of Muhammad, I have to be honest, it's very difficult for me to review "The Message" as the film speaks for something deeply rooted in my soul: a vague notion some would describe as 'faith'. Faith is never blind in my opinion but it does possess blinding effects. At the end, it's impossible for me not to feel directly concerned by 'The Message", as a Muslim, and I'm not blind because I don't want to see what could be seen as flaws but because I see what can be seen as flaws but I know that there are not, and that the film handles bravely and tactfully a very difficult subject. And naturally, the first element that would immediately divide opinions is the representation of the Prophet Muhammad.
It's one of these strange ironies that one of the most influential and important personalities of Humanity's history is the least represented human figure. But that's the very basis of Islam, there's no Icon because "The Message" came specifically to fight the pagan obscurantism, nothing can be sacred, not even a human since there is no god but God, there's no God-like figure, even the Divinity of the Christ, the Trinity, is not recognized. The physical absence of the most preeminent character can confuse some viewers, but this is the way Islamic civilization acknowledged the holiness of Muhammad without materializing, that would have fatally made him an icon.
This is why Muhammad is spoken about but never seen, but his aura is powerfully indicated by all the other performances, notably the late Anthony Quinn who plays Hamza, the prophet's uncle. Many other epics would be made about Islam, but "The Message" remains the milestone, the first to tackle the difficulty of representing the prophet and its resonance in the Islamic world is indubitable. Till now, Maurice Jarre's score, rightfully Oscar-nominated, is used in many religious programs and is widely associated with Islam, as if it was capable to translate into notes, this very aura Muslims tend to embrace without totally touching it.
No one is perfect after all, only God is.
And for this visionary effort, I respectfully applaud the late Syrian director who made the inspiring drama and haunting epic celebrating the birth of Islam, a faith that has reached today the billion of followers. So little is yet known about it and what is known doesn't prevent it from certainly being the most misrepresented, misunderstood and openly disregarded of all the religions.
Still, Akkad's initial intention didn't fail, nor had "The Message" lost its cultural significance. the noble purpose of the film was simply diluted in a mass of events and uncontrolled sociocultural representations that contributed to erode the image of Islam within the average Occidental eye. Ultimately, for one film trying to depict the positive values for which Islam stood, the scarf, suicide bombers, hijackers, the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the Great Djihad or the Prophet-drawing controversy contributed to a whole negative mythology damaging the image of Islam.
Indeed, the Green Scare still prevails and it's even sadder that Akkad, himself, was killed, along with his daughter, in a terrorist attack in Jordan in 2005. But this tragic irony of fate should also give the benefit of doubt toward Islam when it's the most faithful and respectable followers that are killed by minorities pretending to be of their own. The first victims of terrorism in the Islamic world are Muslims indeed; sadly, the media are so prejudiced that they're most likely to associate Islam with a fatalistic image of violence and intolerance, while its Universalist message was specifically delivered to stand against the very injustices on which it is blamed by the detractors.
The film opens in the Mecca of the sixth century, where people from different regions of the Arabic peninsula came to pagan pilgrimages. At that time, like the Merchants who were banished from the Temple by Jesus, some rich exploiters made a real business out of a religious obedience counting no less than 300 idols, all represented in statues and totem-like figures. Slavery naturally existed, so did such infamous 'traditions' as baby girls' burials. But the days of these barbarian practices were numbered and rumor had it that Muhammad met the Ange Gabriel and received a Revelation. Muhammad was an illiterate shepherd in his forties but the Miracle happened when he was capable to read the Divine Message. Islam's founding event was the miracle of Muhammad's reading, which says enough about the importance of knowledge as a virtue more valuable than any skills at fighting.
Muhammad and the first ranks of martyrs standing behind him would become a threat to the Order. The film illustrates from the contrast between Meccan practices and Muslims, the true nature of Islam: tolerance, justice and total equality. One of the most symbolical and powerful moments come when Bilal, the Ethiopian slave, refuses to slaughter a man who was stating that everyone was equal in Islam, which earned him a worse punishment. Bilal would ultimately become the first muezzin of Islam's history, the voice that reassembles Muslims to the mosque for the prayers, and it's still a man's voice that continues to unite Muslims in all over the world. There is this constant idea of the world as a whole, of men and women as one people submitted to one God, as the first pillar of Islam is the testimony of faith, that there is no god but God (Allah) and Muhammad is his apostle.
And speaking of Muhammad, I have to be honest, it's very difficult for me to review "The Message" as the film speaks for something deeply rooted in my soul: a vague notion some would describe as 'faith'. Faith is never blind in my opinion but it does possess blinding effects. At the end, it's impossible for me not to feel directly concerned by 'The Message", as a Muslim, and I'm not blind because I don't want to see what could be seen as flaws but because I see what can be seen as flaws but I know that there are not, and that the film handles bravely and tactfully a very difficult subject. And naturally, the first element that would immediately divide opinions is the representation of the Prophet Muhammad.
It's one of these strange ironies that one of the most influential and important personalities of Humanity's history is the least represented human figure. But that's the very basis of Islam, there's no Icon because "The Message" came specifically to fight the pagan obscurantism, nothing can be sacred, not even a human since there is no god but God, there's no God-like figure, even the Divinity of the Christ, the Trinity, is not recognized. The physical absence of the most preeminent character can confuse some viewers, but this is the way Islamic civilization acknowledged the holiness of Muhammad without materializing, that would have fatally made him an icon.
This is why Muhammad is spoken about but never seen, but his aura is powerfully indicated by all the other performances, notably the late Anthony Quinn who plays Hamza, the prophet's uncle. Many other epics would be made about Islam, but "The Message" remains the milestone, the first to tackle the difficulty of representing the prophet and its resonance in the Islamic world is indubitable. Till now, Maurice Jarre's score, rightfully Oscar-nominated, is used in many religious programs and is widely associated with Islam, as if it was capable to translate into notes, this very aura Muslims tend to embrace without totally touching it.
No one is perfect after all, only God is.