This film introduced America to its own Muslim communities in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. We began production in 2000 when American Islam was seen more as an issue of ethnography. Since September 11th, 2001, Americans have searched for the truth about their Muslim neighbors, and Muslims in Appalachia has shown it to them.
What is the truth? American Muslims are just like anyone else. They live in the hope of the American dream; they seek peace among their neighbors, and they yearn to live as faithful followers of their religion in a land that is not always friendly toward it. Especially in Appalachia, in the heart of the Bible Belt, little seems to support those who seek to follow Islam, but Muslims find the area a comfortable home anyway.
Muslims in Appalachia takes you on a journey from the Old World into the New and ponders: how do Muslims live in a culture that is often at odds with their values? Do religious minorities find that their faith fades or thrives in an alien land?
This program was recently re-acquired from educational distribution. Buy this video today and see this film that made a significant contribution to the understanding of Islam in the post-9/11 world.