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Enrolling in a flight school in the aftermath of September 11 may not have been a priority item on any Muslim American’s to-do list. But it was for Monem Salam, the son of a Pakistani commercial pilot who had always dreamed of learning to fly. His poignant and funny journey is featured in On a Wing and a Prayer, a documentary film by Unity Productions Foundation and Hand Crank Films. The film airs nationwide on PBS in May 2008.
Monem decided he wanted to take flying lessons despite all the warnings his well-meaning friends and wife, Iman, sent his way. Things didn’t get any easier when application requests to one flight school went unanswered and the FBI made a brief inquiry at the school in which he eventually enrolled.
But the roadblocks didn’t stop Monem from his quest. "If you have a dream to do something, just do it. More often than not, it’s your own fear that drives you not to pursue your dreams," he explains.
Monem grew up in Texas, a place he describes, with a laugh, "where any group — even the Muslims — are conservative." "I never knew such a thing as a liberal Christian existed," he says," but that doesn’t mean there aren’t!"
A financial advisor by profession, he leads a typical American, suburban life with his wife, Iman, and three children. "My biggest hope for this film is to break down barriers. I want people to look into the life of a real American-Muslim family and to discover along the way that we face issues just like everybody else, that we want to fulfill our dreams just like anybody else," he says.
Iman was at first hesitant about appearing in the film, but eventually she realized its potential to break down stereotypes by showing a Muslim woman who has a voice and knows how to hold her own. "A lot of people are surprised when they see my relationship with Monem as it comes through in the documentary. We share a great relationship — he is more serious, I am more sarcastic," she says.
She’s since grown to embrace her role as an ambassador and spokesperson for Muslim Americans. "Generally I find that people are afraid to approach Muslim women because they think they will be easily offended, but I’d always rather you come ask me a question than stare at me and think things! Muslim women are just as approachable and cool as anyone else," she says.
On a Wing and A Prayer will make its broadcast premier on PBS in May. To preview a movie trailer, check local broadcast times, and learn more about the amiable cast, visit www.onawingandaprayer.tv.
Posted May 6, 2008
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