Kamran Pasha: Islam’s lone voice in Hollywood
Kamran Pasha: I have been writing since I was a boy. My first short story was published in my school newspaper when I was 12 years old. Since then, I have written for movies and television and have authored several novels. I also blog regularly for the Huffington Post (an America news website) about issues […]
Kamran Pasha: I have been writing since I was a boy. My first short story was published in my school newspaper when I was 12 years old. Since then, I have written for movies and television and have authored several novels. I also blog regularly for the Huffington Post (an America news website) about issues relating to Islam and the media.
As a producer of the NBC series ‘Kings’, what is it all about?
Kings was a TV series based on the story King David in the Bible and the Qur’an. It was a modernized version of the story, set in a contemporary kingdom. The story follows a young army soldier who becomes a war hero and is brought into the royal court by the King, who wants to use him for publicity. But once near the center of power, the soldier becomes at the heart of a movement to replace the tyrannical king. It is modeled directly on the story of how David replaced Saul, the first king of Israel.
What about your other works, like ‘Sleeper Cell’?
I wrote and co-produced ‘Sleeper Cell’, which was a TV series about a Muslim FBI agent who fights Al-Qaeda. The show was the first series in Hollywood to have a Muslim hero fighting terrorism and went a long way to promoting an accurate view of mainstream Islam and showing people how misguided the terrorists really are when they claim to be fighting for Islam.
What motivated you to write ‘Mother of the Believers?’ and ‘Shadow of the Swords?’
‘Mother of the Believers’ is a novel about Aisha, the wife of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). I wanted to tell her story because she was a remarkable woman who breaks every stereotype people have that Muslim women are oppressed and submissive. Aisha was a powerful political leader who led armies and has been an inspiration for Muslim feminists throughout history. My second novel ‘Shadow of the Swords’ tells the story of the Crusades from the perspective of Saladin, (salahuddeen) the great Muslim king who conquered Jerusalem. Saladin was a man of nobility and honor and treated even his enemies with great courtesy. He worked hard to bring about reconciliation between Christians, Muslims and Jews. I wanted to tell his story because Saladin represents a true Muslim warrior in contrast to the evil terrorists. Saladin would never kill innocent people or hurt women and children, and I wanted to remind both Muslims and people of other religions that even in times of conflict, men can and must behave with civility and morality.
You are said to be working on rewriting ‘The Immaculate.’ Tell us more.
‘The Immaculate’ is a movie about a teenage boy who some people think might be the Messiah. His life is in danger and an FBI agent must protect him. The agent doesn’t believe in God and so the movie follows how the agent’s view of life and spirituality is transformed through his interaction with this strange boy. The producers of the film include Sidney Kimmel, who produced ‘The Kite Runner’ and Charles Segars who made the ‘National Treasure’ movies. We want to do a film that explores what it means to have faith in the modern world, while being respectful of all religious beliefs.
How did you come to write a video game for 50 Cent in 2008?
After I finished my work on ‘Sleeper Cell’ I was approached by a video game company to write ‘50 Cent: Blood on the Sand.’ The game was meant to be a sequel to 50 Cent’s first bestselling video game, but this time set in the Middle East. In my game, 50 Cent travels to a Middle Eastern country and is robbed of a diamond skull. In trying to retrieve the valuable skull, he confronts a variety of villains and finds himself caught inside the country’s dangerous power struggle. I am proud of the game, and the reviews have been very positive.
You accompanied your mum to Hajj in 2008. What was the experience like?
Hajj is truly a life transforming experience. I met many very special people from all over the world, many of whom remain close friends today. It was a very moving spiritual journey that humbled and reminded me that as a Muslim, I am a part of vast global community that includes all races. It reminded me that despite our differences in appearances, language and culture, we are all human beings created by the same God. To this day, I treasure my memories of the Hajj, and I hope to visit Mecca and Medina again.
Did going to Mecca change your perception about Islam?
The pilgrimage reminded me that the most important trait in life is patience. The Hajj can be a very exhausting physical ordeal, and if people’s hearts are not in the right place, they can become frustrated and short-tempered. But life is bigger than our petty problems; and getting annoyed with the little difficulties we face every day is a waste of energy. With patience, a human being can transcend even the greatest challenges, and I believe the Hajj is intentionally designed to inspire us toward developing patience as part of our characters.
What will you say were the highpoints of your journalism career?
I interviewed many famous world leaders including Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan and Shimon Peres of Israel. I learned a great deal about how complex world events really are, and how every story has two or more viewpoints. And I also learned to think for myself, as I saw first hand how the media can manipulate information. Having been a journalist, I am now cautious about accepting everything that is presented in the news as accurate, since many media companies are today serving corporate agendas rather than the goal of revealing truth.
How do you view Islam vis-à-vis the Muslim world and how the religion is viewed in the West?
Islam is a beautiful religion that is going through a difficult moment in its history, with a handful of extremists creating problems for which the entire Muslim community is demonized. Anyone who knows Muslims personally will immediately recognize that the extremists are a tiny, tiny fraction of the population. Most Muslims are humble, gentle people who live quiet lives and do not seek attention or controversy. That is actually part of the reason that Islam has such a bad image in the world — the majority of Muslims are simply normal people who do not seek publicity, and as a result they are ignored by the media. Only the handful of extremists get media attention, and their voices misrepresent how Islam is actually practised by most Muslims. One of the reasons I am active in Hollywood is to be a voice for mainstream Islam on behalf of the hundreds of millions of Muslims who simply live life quietly and peacefully and do not get involved in extremism.
How was the transition from journalism to movie production?
Learning how to tell stories that will work in Hollywood is always challenging. Screenwriting and filmmaking are extremely difficult crafts. My training as a journalist helps a little bit because I have an intuitive sense of what constitutes interesting drama for an audience. Still, the hardest part is sitting down every day and writing a script, but it is ultimately a very fulfilling life and I am blessed by God to do what I love.