Another Muslim Propaganda Film

Rating: 2/10 (16 March 2014)

I can understand some of the attraction to 'Incendies,' as there are some well crafted elements of the film, including beautiful cinematography, superb acting, and a story that immediately draws the viewer into the world of its troubled characters. But what I find inexplicable, as well as frightening, is how so many people who have seen 'Incendies' appear incapable of seeing it for what it is, i.e., a Muslim propaganda film. While the protagonist of the story is an Arab Christian, her character clearly serves no other purpose than as a medium for illustrating completely unprovoked evils of her own people against the Muslims, who are all portrayed in this film as the most perfectly innocent victims one could possibly imagine. It is worth noting that the lead actress in Incendies also played a major role in 'Paradise Now,' a Palestinian film in which it is the Jews who are portrayed as the unprovoked tormentors of the Muslim people. While there have in fact been incidents of violence against Muslims by non-Muslims, there is a long and indisputable history of Muslims committing acts of violence upon not only non-Muslims but each other. And while I've seen much passion, beauty and poetry in films written by Muslims, I have unfortunately never seen a single one that even attempts to show any sympathy whatsoever with non-Muslims or that places any responsibility whatsoever upon the Muslim people for any kind of problem facing them. But equally disheartening is how many people--including some of those who are the objects of the lopsided demonization portrayed in so many Muslim-made films--subscribe to such blatant hatred and lies.