An American Mosque

Streaming video - 2013

An American Mosque is a film about Islam in America, religious intolerance, and the interfaith response to an historic hate-crime. When the Islamic Center of Yuba City, California, was burned to the ground in 1994, it was the first arson to destroy a mosque in US history. At the time, this incident was largely ignored. Now, decades later, this symbolically important story is revisited. Late one night, arsonists broke into the newly-constructed mosque, doused prayer rugs with gasoline, then lit the building ablaze. The mosque was reduced to ashes and an investigation ensued.. For the first time, the film's characters respond publicly to the crime, speaking passionately about their hope and heartbreak, as well as their continued faith i...n religious freedom for all Americans. Community members of other religions echo their words, expressing compassion, support, and a shared desire for justice in the wake of the arson. An American Mosque frames this small town story as representative of a larger struggle to protect America's core values. The film's narrators speak to Muslims' trust in the Constitution and how the rebuilding of their mosque is a lived testament to religious liberty.. more