Just watched an extraordinary film on Netflix that I recommend to everyone: Julie Meltzers 2011 ``The Light in Her Eyes. Its a documentary about Houda al Habash, who founded a religious school for girls in Syria 30 years ago. Al Habash is conservative, wears the full hijab, and encourages girls to memorize the entire Koran. BUT: She will not take any girl in her school who is not pursuing secular studies. She sent her own daughter overseas to study political economy. She tells her students to learn the Koran so that they are not ignorant and are not forced by cultural conservatives into positions that are not authorized by the Koran. She startles her students by by asking if there is any religions law that prevents them from becoming president of their country, and then tells then that there is not a single one. She looks a great deal like Frances McDormand, and is both blunt and warm. The film could only have been made by a woman as it gives us up close and personal glimpses of the lives of women and girls in a society that is becoming ever more gender segregated. The film was released in 2011, and shortly after, because of turmoil in Syria, Al Habash and her entire family has had to leave the country. But her school at the Al-Zahra Mosque in Damascus is waiting for her. This is a wonderful film. Im so glad I found it quite by accident. I hope you will like it as much as I did. Heres a link to the trailer. https://youtube/watch?v=FcNShPxRJrA
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 01:28:00 +0000
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