Customer Reviews

Islam:a Closer Look [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Does not show the complete truth about Islam. I study Islam almost day and night and the Islam presented in this video is too touched up forgetting to mention all the aspects of the religion. A true closer look into Islam would point out pre-Islamic influences and daily life in Islamic countries such as the attitudes of men and women in public. The video should not just mention one side if it is supposed to be a "closer look." Yet even as a bias, it fails to introduce Islam with all of the Prophet's accomplishments while he was here on the planet. It just leaves out too much, but then again it was only 30 minutes.

This is an excellent video for both Muslims and non-muslim brothers and sisters. A great one for non-muslim to give them a true picture of Islam and this video will remove all the misconception of your mind. It gives you an introduction of Islam and its factors.

this is a great video to show to destroy common misconceptions and as a general introduction to islam. talks about the basis of faith as well as common stereotypes which american muslims suffer from. includes hamza yusuf, john esposito, hakeem olajuan.

As a researcher of religion, especially Christianity and Islam, I must say the video is not a "closer look" into Islam as the title implies. I felt it was too short and (without denying the bias of it being a pro-Islam presentation) included some propaganda that did not allow the video to be presented objectively enough to be called a true introduction to Islam. The portion of the video dedicated to women in Islam discussed much about the equality of women in Islam (which I applaud) yet unfairly left out even an utterance of topics such as Surah 4:34 which deal with male superiority to women and such. Nevertheless, the video was good enough for me to want to show it to my Intro to Islam class. I give it three stars!

Did Islam ever consider women to be equal to men? If so, there is little evidence of such an attitude in the last 400 to 500 years. The current reality is that even the more moderate interpretations of Islam place men in the proverbial driver's seat. This politically correct video originally aired in 1995 leaves much to be desired. Those being interviewed essentially ignore the Islamic nihilists who threaten our very existence. They are treated, at best, as a minor nuisance. Islam:a Closer Look is only a half hour long. There is a possibility that it might help you learn why our guard down was down on 9/11.

David Thomson
Flares into Darkness

This video really clears your head...about the Islam you hear on Tv...or read in the paper---it'll give you a "CLOSER LOOK" of the real Islam....and what it is! It's really a video...that you CAN'T miss...if you want to know Islam. I recommend it 100%----It's absolutely a go-go one! Don't miss!

When I got the video, I thought that I would see an unbiased view of the religion, but unfortunately, what I got was a one-sided view and basically a propaganda for Islam. This video is [one sided]

Since this video was created by an Islamic charitable organization currently being investigated by the U.S. gov't, I decided to watch it.
It's very a amateurish production. The copyright is 1995 but the graphics look like something from 1985. The interviews are rather dull. Hakeem Olajuwon, basketball player, tells us in a monotone voice that Islam is the answer to America's problems --- however he does not elaborate on exactly what America's problems are or how Islam will solve them. A Catholic nun who converted to Islam talks about women's rights in Islam. She tells us that when she walks down the street in her headscarf, "nobody bothers me!" (as if men bothering women has anything to do with what women are wearing -- it certainly doesn't in Saudi Arabia where women are forced to cover up from head to toe in black tent-like garments, and yet the police still have to round up groups of men and flog them for harrassing women). She also says that "30 years ago" women in the West decided to demand their rights (although the first Women's Rights Convention in America was in Seneca Falls, NY, 1848) while Islamic women were given rights many centuries ago. This too is a fallacy considering that Jesus placed no special restrictions upon Christian women, but Mohammad placed many, many restrictions upon Muslim women. She seems a little confused about the distinction between rights given by a religion and rights given by a government entity. Take a look at the daily lives of women in Islamic countries versus women in Western countries and you can easily see who has rights and who doesn't. John Esposito also gives an interview although nothing he said was particularly memorable. An Islamic cleric halting admits that "there are some problems in Islamic nations." The entire video comes off as a "why my religion is better than your religion" sermon --- and fails miserably. It probably would not be too difficult to find a better video on Islam.