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Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football is a documentary film about a tight-knit community of Muslim Americans in Dearborn, Michigan, who are focused on their passion and support for the Fordson High School football team. The story begins at Fordson High School, a public school that was once attended by only white students but now is proud to have a 98 percent Arab-American community. The viewers get to catch a glimpse of the lives of a community that is home to the largest group of Arabs through the eyes of the team, their coaches, and their fans.
As Fordson alum, Brian Mosallam put it: “We are the luckiest people in the world to be born and live in America.” However, this documentary does not only cover the love for the sport, their country, and the history of Dearborn. The meaning of the documentary lies within the differences in cultures and discrimination of Muslim Americans. The film starts on September 11, 2009, the day of the tragedy for the whole nation, and ends after Ramadan, ten days later. While the players struggle to overcome the hunger and thirst of fasting as they prepare for the big game, they also have an inner concern with their heritage.
There is no narrator leading the viewer through the story since this is a successful compilation of interviews, and the narrators are the locals themselves. It is not the opinion of only one person but a mutual pain that has been increasing for all representatives of an immigrant community. The USA provides unique opportunities for everyone; however, this kind of life may come with a price. After the tragic day of September 11, the whole Muslim community was under great pressure. The story of Ali Houssaiky, who was a former Fordson football star, serves as an example. When in 2005, Ali and his friend bought cell phones in Wal-Mart, they were accused of a terrorist attack, when in reality, they were planning to sell the phones for profit. Before two young men were released on the lack of evidence, they were held for ten days without any charges. The former football player states that he will never forget the devastation of his family and the day when his reputation was ruined by biased accusations: “It opened my mind, opened my eyes to what’s going on in America.”
I personally felt a wide array of emotions while watching the documentary, the feeling of pride for a community mixed with the feeling of unfairness to which it was exposed. In the light of 9/11, people of Arab heritage were being accused of involvement in the terrorist act just on the basis of their cultural background. As it has been mentioned in the documentary, Arabs felt responsible, and the media made them feel guilty because “somewhere in the blood trail,” they were related to the people on the plane. The documentary makes the viewer feel furious since no person in the world should be ashamed of their heritage and feel responsible for what other individuals do.
Hence, the documentary serves as an inspirational story of the resilience of an immigrant community. Regardless of hard times, the immigrant communities had to find inner strength. The viewer not only catches a glimpse of life in a Muslim community but also sees the struggles that come with it, trying to find an answer to the popular question, “Who is an American?”
Works Cited
Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football. Directed by Rashid Ghazi, North Shore Films LLC, 2011.
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