September 11, 2001 changed the lives of millions. The events on 9/11 shocked the world as more than 3,000 people lost their lives at the hands of terrorists. Following the harrowing events on that fateful day, many Canadian Muslims have become unintended victims of the catastrophic event, as sudden waves of “Islamaphobia” have created prejudices towards their community. Anazlying the impact of these events, the one-hour, original documentary Change Your Name Ousama, explores the marginalization of Muslims living in Canada today. This compelling new documentary premieres Sunday, Sept. 9 at 10 p.m. ET on OMNI. 2 in Ontario, 9 p.m. MT on OMNI Alberta and 9 p.m. PT on OMNI BC.
“As we approach the 11th anniversary of 9/11, this timely documentary examines the lingering prejudice experienced by Canadian Muslims after that infamous day,” said Madeline Ziniak, National VP, OMNI Television. “As the leading ethnocultural network, OMNI Television is committed to shedding light on the issues and challenges that impact one of Canada’s most diverse communities.”
Featuring interviews with top academics, journalists, and religious leaders, Change Your Name Ousama provides an in-depth look at the Muslim community whose members have experienced an image crisis following 9/11. This crisis has led Muslim leaders to advise members of their community to keep their heads down, leave their hijabs at home, and in some cases, to change their name entirely. This thought-provoking documentary unveils the moral and ethical dilemma faced by this community as they struggle to separate themselves from the tarnished image they experienced after 9/11.
In addition to chronicling the prejudices plaguing Canadian Muslims, the documentary also sheds light on the sociology of this community, whose members are diverse, belong to different races, follow different cultural traditions, and speak a variety of languages. Many are young men and women who were born in Canada two and three generations ago. Others have immigrated from Europe, Asia, and Africa, holding a range of opinions about politics and life – reflecting a diversity for which Canadians are known.
Change Your Name Ousama was created by filmmaker Fuad Chowdhury and former CBC foreign correspondent Bill Gillespie. This documentary was fully funded by the OMNI Television Independent Producers Initiative.
Official Website, OMNI Television: OMNITV.ca
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