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Towards Making A Documentary On The Late Imam Abdullah Haron

Abstract
Making a documentary about a Muslim iconic figure in post-Apartheid South Africa can be a long and hard process. Intentions and goals have to be strongly set and kept, to allow one to carry on amidst financial difficulty, and apparent community support. This article is an account of my personal journey through the making of a documentary on the late Imam Abdullah Haron. I speak of the Imam in his community, the visual documentation of the Imam’s life, my personal experiences as a filmmaker from London in South Africa, and the development of my relationship with this man. It is concluded that this visual medium should be appropriated by Muslims in order to aid storytelling, and to give an accurate representation of their identity, rituals and beliefs to the rest of the world.

INTRODUCTION
In this article I will be discussing the process and pitfalls of the production of a documentary around a South African icon - Imam Abdullah Haron. A temporal and spatial account of the Imam’s context will serve to introduce the man, his ideals, his generous gifts to the community, and his death. I then pose the questions, which have been most pertinent in the process of developing and editing the documentary. I will attempt to explain the reasons for venturing into such a project and the obstacles and rewards associated with it. Furthermore, I will talk about filmmaking in South Africa and what I believe should be the Islamic response and contribution to this field.

THE CAPE MUSLIM HERITAGE - A LEADER IS BORN
Eleven years on from the fall of the unjust Apartheid regime in humanity’s most turbulent century to date, South Africa now speaks of freedom, progression, pride and rainbows. Also because of its somewhat isolated history and geographical location, South Africa is hailed, unofficially, as a fairly insular society. Within this rainbow nation is a particular and unique community borne of oppression long before Apartheid officially clenched...