Open Call

How is it that during Election 2008, the words "Muslim" and "Islam" have become political dirty words? Throughout the 2008 presidential primaries and continuing into the general election, rumors and gossip surrounding Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's faith have thrown many Americans' post-9/11 prejudices and misconceptions into sharp relief. Meanwhile, thousands of Muslim Americans are preparing for the election by registering in record numbers and working for campaigns. But what’s it like to participate in an election as a Muslim American in this kind of climate?

In this short, Stuart Harmon and Megan Thompson take an intimate look at a group of Muslim Americans voters as they discuss the 2008 election. The resulting conversation displays not only individual reactions to Islam's portrayal in popular media, but also the variety of opinions and perspectives present within the Muslim American community itself.