DOCUMENTARY: "INSIDE MECCA"
Thursday, February 17, 2005

With a huge crowd of participants, we viewed the National Geographic Documentary "Inside Mecca". Then Dr. Fidelma O'Leary, our special guest and one of the subjects in the documentary, answered questions about the documentary and her personal experiences performing the Hajj. Dr. O'Leary is an Associate Professor in Biology at St. Edward's University here in Austin. She is a co-founder of the organization "Freedom of Faith". The evening continued with informal discussions. Refreshments were served.

The one-hour long documentary filmed in 2003, follows three Muslims (one of which is Dr. O'Leary) from different countries and backgrounds as they embark on this five-day trip, and depicts what goes on in Mecca during the Hajj, showing why 2 million Muslims from all over the world gather in the holiest city of Islam during the designated month. The documentary is groundbreaking in that it presents Islam and Muslims in all their diversity, showing that Islam is a world religion.

One of the five pillars of Islam, the Hajj is required of all who can manage it at least once in a lifetime. Each year, Muslims from all over the world travel to Mecca to praise and give thanks to God, to ask pardon for their sins and renew their spiritual commitment through an elaborate series of rites and rituals. The Hajj brings people of every nation, race, and status together in worshiping God. The Hajj had ended a few weeks ago with the feast of sacrifice.

We were very pleased to have Dr. Fidelma O'Leary, an Austinite and professor at St. Edward's University, joining us after the screening to discuss her experiences at pilgrimage as well as what it was like to be the subject of a documentary film.

One day before the screening, we had an interview with Dr. O'Leary on the IDSA radio show on KVRX FM 91.7.