I recently viewed the third segement of the Arab Diaries documentary series.  Having studied Middle Eastern history and world religions, I was eager to gain a more personal understanding of Muslim culture.  This film allowed me an intimate look at how Muslims approach the topic of love and marriage.  The documentary followed the lives and experiences of several individuals expressing a variety of perspectives.  The documentary’s look at a variety of MIddle Eastern settings helped demonstrate the consistency of Muslim views from one nation to the next.  Ultimately, I found the views on interfaith marriage to be particularly interesting.  While the strict aversion to this practice in Muslim societies seems harsh, similar views are held by conservative members of other faiths.  In fact, I could somewhat relate to this issue.  The Rabbi at my current synagogue refuses to perform interfaith marriages, and my cousin was unable to be married by her Rabbi because her fiance was not of Jewish faith.   Overall, the film widened my appreciation for Muslim culture and left me with a sense of admiration for those individuals who must overcome the conflict between their faith and their personal desires.  I hope to have the opportunity to review the rest of the Arab Diaries series, and am particularly interested in seeing the final segment entitled Youth.

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