Groundbreaking Film on Global Muslim Opinion to Premier at CSIS

WASHINGTON, November 9, 2009 – The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), in cooperation with Unity Productions Foundation (UPF) and the Charter for Compassion, will host a screening of “Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think,” a new documentary that provides an eye-opening view of global Muslim opinions on such topics as terrorism, democracy, women, and the West. Based on the findings of the Gallup Organization’s first-of-its-kind opinion poll of the entire Muslim world, the documentary will be previewed in Washington at CSIS.

Immediately prior to the event, Alex Kronemer, the co-executive producer of the film will speak about the role of compassion in engaging the Muslim world, and the work of Unity Productions Foundation.  Mr. Kronemer will introduce noted author and winner of the 2008 TED Prize, Karen Armstrong who will offer opening remarks to will launch the "Charter for Compassion," a call to begin a world wide grass-roots movement to restore compassion to the center of religious, moral and political life.  Dr. Khalique Zahir, President of the Islamic Medical Association of North America will read the Charter for Compassion at the event.

WHEN/WHERE:

November 12, 2009, 6:30 PM
Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
1800 K Street, NW, B1 Conference Center

Credentialed members of the media must RSVP to aschwartz@csis.org.

ABOUT “INSIDE ISLAM: WHAT A BILLION MUSLIMS REALLY THINK”
“Inside Islam” examines questions on every American’s mind: Why is there so much anti-Americanism in the Muslim world? Who are the extremists and how do Muslims feel about them? What do Muslims like and dislike about the West? What do Muslim women really want? This 55-minute documentary is executive produced by Michael Wolfe and Alex Kronemer (“Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet”; “Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain”; “Prince among Slaves”) and produced and directed by Robert Gardner (“Arab and Jew: Return to the Promised Land”; “Elie Wiesel: First Person Singular”; “Islam: Empire of Faith”).

Like Gallup’s research, the film challenges some popular notions concerning the conflicts that exist between the United States and the Muslim world. Experts featured in the film include Dalia Mogahed, executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies and a member of President Obama’s Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Unity Productions Foundation is a nonprofit production company whose mission is to develop balanced, fair, and accurate journalistic material concerning the world’s cultural and spiritual traditions in order to help increase understanding and tolerance. For more information please visit: www.upf.tv.

ABOUT THE CHARTER FOR COMPASSION

The Charter for Compassion is the result of Karen Armstrong’s 2008 TED Prize “Wish” and made possible by the generous support of the Fetzer Institute. It will be unveiled to the world on November 12, 2009. For more information about the Charter for Compassion please visit: www.charterforcompassion.org. For more information about the TED Prize “Wish” please visit: http://www.tedprize.org/karen-armstrong/.

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The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 1962 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It seeks to advance global security and prosperity by providing strategic insights and policy solutions to