march 10, 2015: just taught a class at nazareth college on “religion in media and popular culture.” i chose to focus on islam as it’s particularly distorted by the use of selected images in mainstream media, which are then repeated ad nauseam. this was part of the global citizenship conference at naz which is meant for high school students. i introduced myself as an activist filmmaker and asked them the meaning of activism. they were more than familiar with the concept. one of the girls was involved with an anti-capitalist/pro-social justice group and another with indigenous peoples’ rights. they understood the meaning of media oligarchy and therefore the importance of independent filmmaking. we listened to edward said explaining orientalism, we looked at images of muslims as they appear mostly in the media and then i showed them images of the narcycist and shadia mansour. i showed them beautiful photographs from iraqi photojournalist tamara abdul hadi’s “picture an arab man” and stills from “the speed sisters.” we also discussed “american sniper” and the problematics of seeing the iraqi people (their villages and neighborhoods and streets and children) thru the scope of a loaded gun (what a perfect metaphor for racism). finally, we talked about the recent wave of killings in chapel hill, kansas city, kentucky and dallas. i wanted to end on a serious note, to show the students how the consequences of stereotyping are v real and tragic. we concluded the class with chimamanda adichie’s ted talk about “the danger of a single story.” i teach this class every year and every time i’m amazed by the responses i get from students – they’re bright, open-minded and up to any mental exercise i dare them to in order to declutter their minds. there’s hope for the future.