The event is free and open to the public.
To reserve a seat, email here or call 703-998-2072 by June 8.
Discussion: The 60-minute film will be introduced by director Brittany Huckabee and followed by an interfaith panel discussion on issues facing local religious communities. Maryanne Reed, Dean of the West Virginia University School of Journalism, will moderate. This event is held in partnership by WETA and West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
PANELISTS:
Sohail Chaudhry, a member of the Islamic Center of Morgantown
Matthew Riegel, a Lutheran campus minister
Monique Gingold, a member of the Tree of Life Synagogue
Moderator: Maryanne Reed, Dean of the WVU School of Journalism
The Mosque in Morgantown is the final installment of a 20-documentary series broadcast as part of the America At A Crossroads. This initiative, created by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and produced under the aegis of WETA Washington, DC, was designed to create an in-depth, provocative series of films exploring the challenges confronting the world post-9/11. More information available on the Web site.
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Former Wall Street Journal Reporter Asra Nomani in front of the Morgantown Mosque |
Working in Pakistan after September 11, 2001, former Wall Street Journal reporter Asra Nomani faced a double shock: a surprise pregnancy and abandonment by the Pakistani man she thought would be her husband, then the murder of her dear friend Daniel Pearl. Still reeling with a son to raise, she returned to her hometown to find that the mosque had been taken over by men she saw as extremists. This documentary chronicles what happens when she decides to fight back — angering even the mosque’s moderates. As the film unfolds, it tells a story of competing paths to social change, American identity and the nature of religion itself.
Brittany Huckabee, the film’s producer, explained the decision to make The Mosque in Morgantown: "The story in Morgantown is really about the dilemma of moderate Muslims, and that’s a story we don’t often see covered in the media. But it’s an absolutely critical part of the evolving saga of Islam in America, and at the same time, I think it’s a story to which people of all faiths can relate. Hopefully this film can open a window for non-Muslims to understand what goes on inside the local mosque — and hold up a mirror for Muslims to reflect on their own experiences."
The documentary will be aired on West Virgina PBS Monday, June 15 at 10 p.m.