Muslim man turns out to be Jewish... Relax, it's just a film: "The Infidel"

Keeping it light, folks!

I admit I am neither in the mood to write about the El-Mabhouh murder (while terrorist behaviour on the part of the Israelis ceased to surprise me a long time ago, I am still dumbstruck at how European countries are letting it slide. They falsified their passports, for heaven's sake! What if it were Hamas that falsified British passport to kill an Israeli officer, I ask you?)

Nor can I be bothered to write about the entire El-Baradei-mania in Cairo (in a nutshell: Eh. We'll see if he's the messiah or if he's just surfing the wave with no real programme to offer - ya Mo, you've got 4 months to clarify your position and make real commitment to the reform process. Otherwise you're no better than the others. And that would be sad).

In the meantime however I will leave you with this promising nugget of a film coming up next month:

The Infidel.

Synopsis: Mahmud, a British Muslim, discovers that he was adopted as a child and that - he's originally Jewish.



Admit it, the story sounds hilariously irreverent. There are stories, occasionally, of non-Jews who discover themselves Jewish roots - this story I read recently - but it's a completely novel comedy topic.

I also like that the guy - well, from the trailer - seems normal. He doesn't have a Pakistani or an Arab accent as most Muslims in films do (on that note, have you watched Reel Bad Arabs? I strongly urge you to). I do hope viewers will get this message - that Muslims are normal folks. This message is as important today as it was 9 years ago.. perhaps even more, as negative stereotypes seem to irrevocably settle in people's minds.

The film also seems to have the right amount of heavy-handed humour -- as he's being kicked out by a policeman of the adoption centre where he just discovered that he was born Jewish, he snorts "Give me a break. You find out you're Jewish and suddenly some bloke in a uniform is leading you away? That's ridiculous!"

I do hope they'll keep the unavoidable dose of negative stereotype and anti-Muslim jokes to a minimum - please please, one film about Muslims that DOESN'T feature terrorists - but overall I'm looking forward to download watch this film once it's one.

I am deliberately - though with no little difficulty - refraining from making serious comments about on whether we are born or become who we are. Saving it for another time. (this said, feel free to start the discussion the comments if you are so keen!)

In the meantime, I think I'll go get me one of those DNA Ancestry tests. You never know. I could be Masai-Indian-Irish-Greek Orthodox or something.

I mean, this bald head has to come from somewhere...