Review of: Paradise Now

Name of Reviewers: Jason O’Quinn and Emily Johnson

Description:

  • Synopsis:

Paradise Now is the portrayal of two young Palestinian friends, Said and Khaled, who are selected to undertake a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, Israel. The film follows the men as they make the mental and logistical preparations for their martyrdom. Upon crossing into Israel from Nablus, the mission goes wrong and the friends are separated. As they spend the day trying to reunite, Said is reaffirmed in his decision to carry out his mission while Khaled begins to question the efficacy of their martyrdom. Ultimately, Suha, the educated, well-versed daughter of a famous martyr convinces Khaled that there are more practical ways to struggle against Israeli occupation. Said, convinced that violence is his most effective tool, carries out his mission.

  • Extremist Portrayed/Described:

Paradise Now portrays Muslim extremists. In fact, the group that plans Said and Khaled’s attack closely resembles Hamas.

  • Extremist Activities:

Said and Khaled are selected to undertake a suicide bombing attack against Israeli soldiers in Tel Aviv. Though the attack is not shown, the film implies that while Khaled decides against the attack Said does follow through with his martyrdom.

  • Role of Religion in Extremist Activities:

In Paradise Now, religion serves as the primary motivation for violence. Said and Khaled resort to religious violence as a means of addressing a political problem (the Israeli occupation of the West Bank). The purpose of their mission is to harm the state of Israel and its soldiers while sending a message about the Palestinian plight. In this sense, they are not religious warriors; they are, instead, two oppressed Palestinians who find motivation in the violent interpretations of jihad. Indeed, Said and Khaled are not fighting a cosmic battle of good and evil, but are rather struggling against a political enemy using the only means they have.

While religion plays a secondary role in the purpose of the attack, it plays a primary role in the attack’s preparation and execution. While filming their martyr videos, they declare their faith and allegiance to God. They are advised by the organization’s leaders to read the Qur’an and pray in the hours leading up to the attack in order to find strength and repress any doubts. In preparation for their martyrdom, the two men undergo ritual ablutions. Khaled and Said’s supervisor Jamal oversees their involvement in the attack and promises them that after their martyrdom, two angels will accompany them to heaven. While religion may be secondary to political aims, in terms of motivation it plays a primary role in solidifying their resolve to carry out the attack.

  • Portrayal/Description of Non-Violent Religious People:

The movie follows Said and Khaled very closely on their journey from low level mechanics to their attempts for martyr status. Throughout the film, a few perspectives of non-violent Muslims are offered through their encounters with Said’s mother and Suha, the daughter of a famed martyr. Said’s mother and Suha offer the perspective of the majority of the Muslim world: while they reject the oppression of the Israelis, they do not become violent.

Said’s mother has already suffered the loss of her husband, an accused collaborator who was murdered for helping the Israelis. She assumes a stance of forgiveness towards her husband and copes with the economic situation in Palestine much better than her son. She seems aware of Said’s plan to attack Israel and conveys a sense of disapproval through her silent and subtle signals such as a shake of the head. Said’s mother demonstrates that she is a religious woman, through her use of the veil. When Jamal, a non-family member, enters into the house, she looks almost sheepish as she wraps her scarf around her head. Her demure manner depicts her as a more passive Muslim woman who takes a silent stance against violence.

Suha takes a more active role in proclaiming non-violence as the best action to take against the Israelis. Upon discovering Said and Khaled’s plan, she scorns them for their methods and is passionate in her view that violence will only further their problems. She also addresses the fact that Israel’s military power far outweighs the impact of suicide bombers and therefore another avenue must be pursued. Just as Said lives with the guilt of his father’s betrayal to Palestine, Suha seems to live with the guilt of her father’s martyrdom and seems to act to counteract his legacy. Suha has lived outside of Palestine and emulates a more Westernized Palestinian. She is not depicted as a overly devout Muslim woman, yet still champions the cause of non-violent action to reach Palestinian autonomy.

Through the characters of Suha and Said’s mother, two peaceful perspectives are demonstrated. Said’s mother represents a case for peace based on forgiveness and a religious life, while Suha demonstrates a case for peace based more on political objectives for an inherently religious struggle.

  • Other Pertinent Information:

While the conflict between Israel and Palestine is rooted in inherently religious struggles based on centuries- old claims to holy land, the most recent outbreak of violence can be linked to the emigration of European Jews to Palestine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The great influx of Jews into the Arab state caused an array of political issues linked to land rights and competition for resources. With the support of the British and American governments, Jews were largely successful in the effort to create a safe haven against European animosities and eventually were granted their own state with the creation of Israel in 1948. Through the establishment of a Jewish state, thousands of Arabs were marginalized and Palestine dwindled in size. After a series of battles and conflicts, the Israeli state has continued their quest to expand their land mass, pushing thousands of Arabs into refugee camps. Against UN sanctions, the Israelis continue to occupy many territories that are rightfully Palestinian. Against the large force of the Israeli army, Palestinians hold little military might and have often resorted to what they perceive to be their only option: suicide bombings such as the one portrayed in Paradise Now.

Evaluation:

This portrayal of Muslim extremism is uncommonly accurate among others found in contemporary cinema. Paradise Now demonstrates a mature understanding of religious extremism and is therefore able to bypass current, misguided stereotypes of Muslim extremists. More specifically, this film empathizes with the conditions that can lead religious practitioners to violence. Mark Juergensmeyer, an expert on religious extremism, identifies several conditions that inspire violence that this film includes, namely the sense of empowerment that violence grants marginalized young men as well as the use of terrorism as a political statement in response to humiliation.

Juergensmeyer theorizes that different forms of marginalization contribute to violence for religious people. These include economic and social marginalization as well as liminal phases of family life. Said and Khaled experience each of these types of marginalization. Said and Khaled are poor Palestinians who are too old to be considered members of their nuclear families but lack the financial stability to start families. In the opening scene of the movie, Khaled actually loses his job. Furthermore, there is evidence that the men have few other friends than one another. In addition to social marginalization, Said and Khaled are geographically marginalized. The men are unable to leave Palestine in search of work and are physically restricted by strict military blockades that the Israelis have placed in Palestine. According to Juergensmeyer, these types of marginalization can lead people to seek a sense of empowerment that only violence provides. The men believe that despite their hardships, their martyrdom will make them heroes. The idea of committing violence gives them hope and purpose and makes them feel powerful. As Juergensmeyer claims, their role in religion violence gives them a sense of importance and destiny, especially in the midst of depravity and chaos.

The second element of the movie that coheres with Juergensmeyer’s theory is the notion that religious terrorism sends a political message in response to humiliation. Said and Khaled feel oppressed and angry by the Israeli occupation of West Bank as well as the violence between the two factions. The mission they are to undertake comes as in response to this violence, specifically a local bombing in Nablus. Furthermore, the primary incentive for the bombing is to create a situation for Israelis that resembles the Palestinian conditions of life. The efficacy of their martyrdom goes no further than an attempt to mirror the chaotic, tragic life that Palestinians must face. Khaled ultimately decides to forego the mission because he realizes there are more effective ways of fighting. Said, on the other hand, is content with the effects of his mission. The film reflects Juergensmeyer’s argument that terrorists’ actions can be evoked by humiliation but often serve to make a political statement. The film also portrays a familiarity with the violent understandings of jihad.

Furthermore, Khaled and Said’s mission represents the often used justification of a defensive jihad. Jihad is an integral part to the Muslim faith and literally means “struggle.” The widespread misconception is that Muslims use jihad as a means of wielding violence against any “infidels.” In reality, the use of violence to spread or protect Islam is referred to as the lesser jihad and receives much less attention in most Muslim communities. The greater jihad is one’s personal struggle to live faithfully and emulate the ways of Muhammad. Through an alternative interpretation of jihad, many Muslims feel that when their faith or community is directly threatened, they have not only the right, but the obligation to enact violent means. Said and Khaled take violent action against the Israelis as a result of economic and political marginalization, something that could be conceived as a threat to the Muslim community. While it is not explicitly conveyed as a defensive jihad, their actions could reasonably be perceived as such. While it is true that some Muslims such as Osama bin Laden have taken the interpretation of defensive jihad to extremes, Said and Khaled’s actions represent a less extreme interpretation of what legitimates defensive jihad.

For these reasons, Paradise Now presents a rarely accurate portrayal of Muslim extremism. The most significant aspect of this depiction is the understanding of conditions that lead people to religious violence. The presence of social and economic marginalization helps explain the motivation for people to resort to violence. Furthermore, the notion that terrorist acts are political statements that arise as a reaction to humiliation is also present. These, along with an informed inclusion of jihad, make Paradise Now an accurate film about Muslim extremism