Filmmaker spoke with several people in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Filmmaker Ami Horowitz traveled to a Somali neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minn., to ask Muslims about their feelings on the United States, Sharia law, and where they prefer to live.
Horowitz spoke with several people in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood and gathered their thoughts on whether or not it is easy to be a Muslim in America. “It’s easy to be Muslim in America,” one said. The presenter then asked an elementary school-age boy if it was easy or tough to go to school as a Muslim. “It’s not tough at all,” the boy replied.
“This is a free country, that’s the beauty of it. We love America. I mean you know, it’s a great country. Freedom of speech, freedom of choice of your religion. So we don’t have any issues,” another man said.
When Horowitz asked residents if they preferred to live under American law or Sharia law, the tone started to change. “Sharia law,” said one man in sunglasses. Another man holding coffee agreed: “I’m a Muslim, I prefer Sharia law.” Added another: “Sharia law, yes.”
A man in a Brooklyn Nets hat with dreadlocks concurred: “Of course, yeah.” Horowitz then asked if most of his friends feel the same way. “Yeah of course, if you’re Muslim, yeah,” the man said. The elementary school-age boy agreed:
Sharia law, it says that if you steal something, they cut off your hand. So basically, they can leave their stores’ doors open. Nobody is going to steal anything because Sharia is so tight. Usually they don’t do anything. The smallest things usually have big consequences.
Horowitz also gathered thoughts on the “Draw Muhammed” contests that have been sprouting up across the country, including in Texas and Arizona. “That really pisses me off, you know what I mean?” said the man in the Nets hat. “Because they know it’s a button to push.”
“That makes me angry,” added the gentleman in the sunglasses. “It’s just that everyone gets this big freedom and they don’t see that they’re freedom that they’re getting is causing chaos and hatred towards other people.”
Horowitz then asked if it would be better to ban all mockery of the Prophet Muhammed. The man and every subsequent person Horowitz asked answered in the affirmative.
In conclusion, Horowitz asked several of his interviewees whether they preferred to live in America or a Muslim country. “I would rather live in a Muslim country with my people,” said the man in the hat.
The boy concurred, preferring to live in Saudi Arabia, while the man in sunglasses preferred Somalia. “Even though I have all the freedom,” he said.
