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The Search For Osama (No, Not That One)
Film duo come to Toronto on peaceable quest for 500 innocent bearers of soiled Osama name
The search for Osama has come to Toronto.
It isn't a stakeout for a single person. In fact the goal is to track down 500 Osamas in the span of 50 days.
Nor is it an operation tied to the manhunt for Osama bin Laden, notorious founder of the Al Qaeda terror movement who has eluded capture since the 9/11 attacks occurred almost seven years ago.
This mission is meant to restore lustre to a name that, because of him, has become synonymous with radical Islamists.
British-based Farrah Jarral, a doctor, and filmmaker Masood Khan have been flying from continent to continent, searching in local bazaars and in schools, to find "lovely Osamas" for their documentary Osama Loves.
"The project is not seeking to solve any major, burning, complex socio-political or theological question. It is simply about showing a sunny, positive face of Muslims, which people don't tend to see," said Jarral, speaking by phone from Jakarta, the third leg of their five-part journey.
They arrive in Toronto today — their only North American stop because the two British Muslims had difficulty obtaining U.S. visas.
"We initially hoped to go to New York City, for obvious symbolic reasons. Ironically, we couldn't get in," Jarral said.
Toronto was a natural second choice, with its sizable Muslim population and "high number of Osamas on Facebook," she said.
Jarral hopes that during her three days here, a great number of Toronto Osamas will come out of the woodwork.
In fact, she's counting on it. After 31 days of scouring Nigeria, Egypt and Indonesia, the partners are still more than 400 Osamas short of their goal.
"We're getting a little bit desperate," she said, so much so that they've opened up their quest to include Muslims using derivatives of the name such as Usama, Usamah, Oussama, Usamatu and even the diminutive Sam.
For Jarral, joining the project was a way to address her internal conflict after the 7/7 subway bombings (July 7, 2005) that took 56 lives and injured 700 commuters in London.
Then a medical student, Jarral was heavily involved in the aftermath, and as a Muslim, she struggled to understand how "people like me could do such an act."
"I wanted to do something that said: `These people don't represent me, they don't represent my community,'" Jarral said.
While the underlying idea of the documentary is politically charged, its focus is anything but. The Osamas appearing on camera are urged to talk about their lives, interests and passions.
The project's website, osamaloves.channel4.com has brief clips of nearly 80 Osamas of all ages from around the world telling of their varied "loves," from mangoes and fishing to English football.
But they also tell how, in a span of weeks after the World Trade Center attacks, a name that means "lion" and represents bravery with deep roots in Islamic history became a burden and liability for all who carry it.
Like little Osama bin Mirza, 6, born on Sept. 11, 2001 — his given name already in place because his parents made the decision at conception.
While he's still too young to understand his name's significance, Jarral said his parents can foresee the troubles their son will have, especially when he travels outside Indonesia and the Muslim world.
That's a challenge Osama Hussain, 21, knows too well.
Hussain, a Ryerson student who was born in Sudan and moved to Toronto four years ago as a political refugee, says the name generates a much different response in this country.
"In the Arab world, having the name Osama is the same as having the name John in Canada," said Hussain, an independent music producer who plans to participate in the documentary project.
"But here, it is slightly different because you're not just another average Joe. It's `Osama.' There is a certain awkwardness when people hear you say it."
What surprises him is the stigma persists after so long.
"At this point in time, now that it has been a couple years, there should be no reason to be shocked," said Hussain. "I am hoping that it will reduce eventually and that people will realize there are a thousand Osamas out there ..."
The documentary is to air on British television in September.
© Copyright Toronto Star 1996-2008
18 Comments so far
Show All"The documentary is to air on British television in September" and to be shown in the US eventually. In a CHURCH BASEMENT near you. How many believe the real osama is still alive?
Bush is going to produce Osama shortly before the election. I'm taking bets.
Eh. I guess CD editors figure that since most of their content dwells on the abundant horrors and miseries of manunkind, that an occasional goofy story is a nice change of pace.
Maybe the filmmaker's next project will be a prequel devoted to the name "Hussein".
Gary Berntsen wrote a book called "Jawbreaker" about how Berntsen headed up the bombing runs supporting Northern Alliance attacks on the Taliban in October of 2001. He ended up in Tora Bora where he found out that Bin Laden's plan was to WALK to Pakistan.
Berntsen felt that this meant he was their's. He was having trouble getting his Afghan soldiers to go after their old friend, so he requested 2000 American troops to go get him himself.
He was denied the troops and relieved of command. Clearly our government let Bin Laden go.
Wow! A guy named Osama Hussain lives in Toronto!
I sure hope he doesn't plan any air travel. The "watch list" responses alone would take longer than global circumnavigation.
Annoying how Mr. Javed "implies" that OBL was involved in the 9/11 attacks.
The article states ".... Osama bin Laden, notorious founder of the Al Qaeda terror movement who has eluded capture since the 9/11 attacks occurred almost seven years ago." This is nothing more than a clever trick to continue to brainwash you regarding the 9/11 events.
The TRUTH is that OBL was wanted and was eluding capture long before 2001.
The TRUTH is that Osama Bin Laden admitted involvement in the 1996 attacks on the Khobar Towers.
There is no evidence to support his involvement in any way with the events of 9/11.
ezeflyer,
Yes, Bush will produce "Osama" a few days BEFORE the election, but lo and behold, a few days AFTER the election it will turn out that it was a simple case of mistaken identity. So sorry. We all make mistakes.
Of course the real Osama most likely died years ago. What is the life expectancy of a person on dialysis living in a cave? That is why the CIA had to create the righthanded, different nosed version of their "Emmanuel Goldstein" for our periodic group hate sessions. Unfortunately for us dumbed downed, Faux news loving, citizens of Oceania, we all believe and obey our handlers. WE'RE NUMBER ONE! GO TEAM USA!
If on the off chance that Osama really is alive, Bush would never cross the Bin Laden family and really bring Osama to justice, even if it turned out Osama was in some way connected to 9/11.
This is nice, why do people forget there are any number of Osamas out there and with one notable, ignoble exception, the majority are not terrorists. It must be so difficult to have that name nowadays, but I think prejudice needs to be exposed and refuted every step of the way, so I am glad this film is being made.
Names.... my mother had a cousin named Adolph who changed his name in the forties for obvious reasons. I don't know how he felt about changing it, for all I know perhaps he never really liked it. But the fact remains that he felt the name had been "tainted". I think Americans were already pretty judgmental about anything unusual but it remains to be seen if names like Osama, or George for that matter, suffer long term shunning.
In the near future ,I hope people with the first name of George get similar appreciation.
The Lorax; Hi. Do you personally embrace any particular position on that subject?
Signed, The Law Of Conservation Of Momentum.
"Americans were already pretty judgmental about anything unusual but it remains to be seen if names like Osama, or George for that matter, suffer long term shunning." But how about Obama?
I knew a boy with the name, Adolph. The grief he suffered due to a little pervert vegetarian with mother issues and a bad mustache was as silly as the goofy Obama-Osama bullshit that weak minds at Fox news and Republican advisers dream up today.
The difference was eventually the kids grew up enough to realize the name was not any indication of the person and only the stupidest of jackasses thought it was.
After the last seven and one half years,
I can just immagine George Washington begging God to allow him to go back in time just long enough to change his name to Fred Washington.
It's just amasing the way the general population can so easily be distracted by goofy shit! Is this a desperation strategy ,or are the repugs that demented?
"Do you personally embrace any particular position on that subject?"
Which subject?
I believe that OBL is guilty of inciting terrorist acts (specifically the 1996 Khobar Towers attacks due to personal admission) and should be prosecuted accordingly.
I do not think OBL had any hand in the 9/11 attacks or knew anything about it.
There is overwhelming evidence to debunk the "official story" regarding the attack. It is, in fact, quite unbelievable. As in all crimes with a fake cover story, no one has been found or identified as having planned or financed the attack.
My 'opinion' concerning the means by which the 9/11 attack occurred is meaningless as are all other 'opinions' regarding the event. Until a serious unbiased non-political investigation is conducted, the "TRUTH" concering 9/11 will never be known.
Bush wont 'find" Osama..the GOP will have McInsane sniff him out and wrestle him to the ground live on FOX "News".
Zaz asked: "How many believe the real osama is still alive?"
I personally believe that he's long dead. It's hard to get proper medical care for kidney disease in the tribal areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.