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Party Guide
Tips for a do-it-yourself film festival
Photo Credits: Kauthar Umar (cover), Carolyn Lambert (above)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Click on any of the page numbers below to jump to the relevant section.
INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................................2
About the Film ...............................................................................................................................2
About New Muslim Cool Crossover Conversations .......................................................................2
Our Partners..................................................................................................................................2
PLANNING YOUR WATCH PARTY .................................................................................................3
The Basics ....................................................................................................................................3
At Your Watch Party......................................................................................................................4
Planning Checklist.........................................................................................................................5
Setting Ground Rules for a Productive Conversation ....................................................................6
Activity: Building Our Skills for Crossover Conversations..............................................................6
WHAT YOU CAN DO........................................................................................................................8
RESOURCES ...................................................................................................................................9
For Crossover Conversations and Interfaith Learning ...................................................................9
On Muslim Culture.........................................................................................................................9

New Muslim Cool Crossover Conversations Toolkit 1

INTRODUCTION

About the Film

With an estimated two to eight million Muslims in the United States, the look of Islam in America has many
faces. New Muslim Cool shows us just how diverse the American Muslim community can be through the
story of Hamza Pérez, a young Puerto Rican American hip hop artist who converted to Islam at age 21,
pulling himself off the streets to become a community activist, family man and rising star. Hamza uses hip-
hop culture to take his religious message to the streets, slums, and jail cells of urban America, forging
unlikely friendships with a Jewish poet, a prison chaplain, and many others along his surprising spiritual
journey. Hamza faces life with a message of redemption and hope, finding his balance in a world that never
stops changing.

About New Muslim Cool Crossover Conversations

As religious, racial, and cultural diversity in the United States continue to grow, many groups remain
divided, uncertain about how to open conversations across boundaries and forge a sense of shared
purpose. Hamza’s multi-faceted identity – as a Latino, youth organizer, person of faith, prison educator,
family man, and artist – presents a unique opportunity to bring together people from all walks of life.

Starting in Spring 2009, people throughout the country will have the opportunity to host watch parties of
New Muslim Cool in homes, community centers, places of worship, cultural institutions, and campuses
across America. We hope you’ll use this watch party guide to open critical conversations about faith, race,
class and culture; inspire new community and civic engagement; and help to strengthen coalitions across
identity lines.

Note: This guide is especially designed for home viewing parties and more intimate groups. If you are an
organization and would like to plan a larger event, you may wish to consult our New Muslim Cool Crossover
Conversations Event Planning Toolkit, available online at http://activevoice.net/newmuslimcool.html or here.

Our Partners

The New Muslim Cool Campaign is brought to you by Active Voice and Specific Pictures, in partnership with
P.O.V. and:
• The Center for Asian-American Media
• The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network
• The Inner City Muslim Action Network
• The Interfaith Youth Core
• Islamic Networks Group
• Latino Public Broadcasting
• The National Coalition-Building Institute
• The Pluralism Project
• Rights Working Group
• Voto Latino
• Words, Beats & Life

New Muslim Cool Crossover Conversations Toolkit 2

PLANNING YOUR WATCH PARTY

The Basics

Whether you’re watching New Muslim Cool on PBS’s P.O.V. or using a DVD, here are some tips for hosting
a great watch party:

What do you want to accomplish?

Are you a fan of hip-hop? Do you want people to get involved in community activism? Are you hoping to
spark a dialogue about racial profiling or religious diversity? Having a sense of what you’d like people to
take away from their evening with New Muslim Cool will help you plan and set a good tone.

Confirm date and time

If you’re planning on watching a broadcast, double check to confirm if and when your local PBS station is
carrying it. (You can find your local station and search for broadcast times on PBS’s website.) If you’re
using a DVD, pick a date and time to bring people together to watch the film, and make sure to leave ample
time for discussion. (DVDs will be available for purchase on www.NewMuslimCool.com as of June 2009.)

Where will you screen?

Make sure people can be comfortably seated. If
you’re screening at your house or in a dorm, borrow
enough chairs so everyone has one. Try sitting in
them to make sure everyone can see the screen!

Invite and inform your friends

Use the language from this kit in your invitation email,
so people will know what to expect. A note that says,
“I’m asking a few folks to come by, share food, and
watch and discuss New Muslim Cool with me… The
film is about …” is a nice way to encourage an
informal but thoughtful event.

Test the equipment in advance

Don’t get caught with a room full of expectant viewers Photo Credit: Kauthar Umar
with only a blank screen to look at! If you’re watching
the broadcast, make sure you’ve got good reception. If you’re using a DVD, make sure it plays on your DVD
player several days before your event, and then again the day of. (You never know – better safe than sorry!)

New Muslim Cool Crossover Conversations Toolkit 3

At Your Watch Party

Make the most of it!

A watch party is a great opportunity to meet new people, so provide snacks and drinks, make the event a
potluck, or ask your friends to bring along guests. Encourage people to learn and do more by providing a
few key facts to help people put the film in context, and ideas for how they can get involved. (You may want
to print out the last 2 pages of this guide to distribute to everyone.)

Introduce Yourself and Everyone Else

This sounds obvious, but if you have people over who are new to your group, take a few minutes to
introduce yourself and go around the room so that everyone can as well. If you like, you can also say a few
words about why you’ve invited them, and that you hope they’ll hang out afterwards to hear what people
had to say. If you are hoping to get people involved in the issues, you could “frame” that for them as well
before you screen.

Take a Minute to Share Personal Responses

It’s always a good idea to let people decompress a bit right after the film. Before launching into an in-depth
dialogue about the issues, we like to start by asking if people have any personal responses to what they’ve
just seen.

Take the Next Step

While you have everyone together, think about ways you can learn more or take action together. Getting
involved in a local spoken word collective, planning an interfaith day of service or hosting a follow-up
screening and discussion are just a few ideas (see “What You Can Do” for more suggestions).

Get Connected With New Muslim Cool Online! Network with

other New Muslim Cool fans on Facebook (just log into
www.Facebook.com and search for “New Muslim Cool,” or click
here). Chat with other NMC fans, post updates about your
event, upload photos from your screening, and more!

You can also sign up on the New Muslim Cool website to check
out the latest activities and receive email updates. Visit
www.NewMuslimCool.com.

Photo Credit: Kauthar Umar

New Muslim Cool Crossover Conversations Toolkit 4

Planning Checklist

Before Your Watch Party

Check your local PBS station for a broadcast time, or buy a DVD of the film at
www.newmuslimcool.com.
Confirm the time and place for your screening.
Get the word out! Send out an email blast and/or Facebook event invitation as soon as possible.
Sending people a link to the New Muslim Cool YouTube Channel is a good way to get them excited
to see the full film.
Test your equipment (TV, DVD and/or DVD player) in advance to make sure there aren’t any
glitches.
Review some background information, and print it out for your group – most people will be curious to
learn more about the issues raised in the film.
• The websites of the organizations listed in this toolkit (see “Resources” and “Partners”) are a
great source of info.
• Active Voice’s New Muslim Cool Crossover Conversations Event Planning Toolkit (online at
http://activevoice.net/newmuslimcool.html or here) includes resources and activities specifically
designed for interfaith, interethnic and other diverse groups.
• The P.O.V. New Muslim Cool discussion guide (online at www.pbs.org/pov/newmuslimcool/)
includes discussion questions and basic information about Islam and hip-hop, the U.S.A.
PATRIOT Act, and more.
• See “What You Can Do” on page 8 for possible facts and action steps you might want to
highlight.
• Contact local groups about issues in your community to help your audience members put New
Muslim Cool in context.
Just before your event, confirm your set-up one last time. Equipment working? Enough seats for
everyone? Snacks?

At the Watch Party

Distribute information and discussion questions.
Discuss ways everyone can get involved with ongoing social justice issues in your community.
Take photos!
Let audience members know that they can learn more about the film on www.NewMuslimCool.com,
and invite them to host watch parties of their own.

After your screening

Upload your event photos and connect with other fans on the New Muslim Cool Facebook page!
Let us know how your watch party went! Answer a few quick questions for us online here.

New Muslim Cool Crossover Conversations Toolkit 5

Setting Ground Rules for a Productive Conversation

This section has been adapted from the Interfaith Youth Core’s Manual “Interfaith Dialogue on the Shared
Value of Service.” You can access the complete document on the IFYC website here.

It’s a good idea to brainstorm some ground rules for the discussion before you proceed, especially if you’re
bringing together people who don’t know each other and who may be accustomed to different ways of
expressing themselves. Allowing participants to create their own guidelines through a collaborative process
is a great way to establish a sense of ownership and a safe space for dialogue. After your group brainstorm,
check the list below to see if there’s anything you might have missed, then read the final list aloud to
everyone before proceeding.

Basic Ground Rules

• Everyone has the right to pass
• Everything said is confidential
• Seek clarification if you don’t understand something someone else is saying
• Make sure to listen to others without interrupting
• Suspend your judgment
• Use “I” statements (instead of “Everyone thinks,” “We all know…”)
• Remember the importance of other people’s faith or moral traditions in their own lives
• Don’t expect others to know everything about your own tradition
• No question is stupid

Activity: Building Our Skills for Crossover Conversations

Whether you’re bringing together young people from different neighborhoods, community members of
different races and ethnicities, people of different faiths or stakeholders from different fields, this activity
serves as a good exercise to spark reflection around issues of community, solidarity, respect, and inclusion.
This activity has been adapted from the Interfaith Youth Core’s “Day of Interfaith Youth Service Toolkit,”
which you can access on the IFYC website here.

Goals:
Hamza and the other characters in New Muslim Cool are constantly struggling to understand more about
those around them, and let’s face it: someone probably said something that made you cringe! But the
important thing is that Hamza, Rafiah (his wife), Gladys (his mother), Carol (his fellow poet), and Lynn (his
colleague at the jail) don’t let their occasional misunderstandings get in the way of their relationships.
Instead, they keep open minds and make the most of their opportunities to learn from each other. How can
we learn from their examples and apply them to our everyday lives? How can we open crossover
conversations in our schools, families and communities? This exercise will give participants a chance to
walk in the shoes of the characters in New Muslim Cool and consider how they might respond or react in
certain situations.

NOTE: The scenarios below are based on actual events and characters depicted in the film, but we’ve
added some fictional “x factors” to give you a fresh perspective on each situation and highlight challenges
people in like situations might face. In other words: this didn’t all happen!

Directions:
Give each group a handout with a description of one of the scenarios described below. (If possible, it’s a
good idea to have an experienced facilitator in each group to help guide any disagreements toward a
positive resolution.) Have one group member read the scenario aloud, and then allow a few minutes for
each member to think of a response to the question: “What would you do?” In each group, discuss
individual reactions, using some of the prompt questions below. To keep the conversation moving, you can
New Muslim Cool Crossover Conversations Toolkit 6
ask two or three people to share different responses, and discuss just those. Then, decide on a collective
response. Ask each smaller group to present their conclusion to the full group, and allow time for questions
and answers.

Discussion Questions:
• What assumptions do you think the other person’s response is based on?
• What would you do in this scenario?
• What are the factors that you took into consideration when you decided on your response?
• How do you think the other person’s experiences might have shaped their views? How might this shape
your response?
• If the person’s statement is ambiguous, how do you think your own experiences might be influencing
your interpretation of the situation?
• How do you think the other people in the scenario would react? If they responded negatively, how would
you handle it?
• What steps might you take to follow up?
• Has anyone in the group ever faced a similar situation? What happened? What did you do?
• Given the different options discussed, which option does the group think is best?
• Pretend that the other people in the scenario were peers you had never met before. Would you respond
in the same way? Why or why not? What if this person were a friend?
• If the other people were authority figures, such as teachers or bosses, would you respond in the same
way then? If not, what other options might you have?

Scenario 1:
You are one of Hamza’s neighbors and hear about the raid of his mosque soon after it happened. You
weren’t there, weren’t responsible, and aren’t been particularly close to Hamza or other members of the
mosque – but you feel bad about what happened. What do you do?

Scenario 2:
Hamza’s daughter is in the playground at school. One day, a group of students gather around her and start
to taunt her. One of the kids pulls off her hijab (head scarf) and starts waving it around, refusing to give it
back.
• You are a fellow student. What do you do?
• You are a teacher who witnesses this incident. What do you do? Later, you mention the incident to a
fellow teacher, who says it was “not a big deal” and that “it was just kids horsing around.” How do you
respond?

Scenario 3:
You are at the M-Team concert with a Jewish friend. She bristles when Hamza gets to the lyric, “Zionist
business controls America,” but she doesn’t bring it up then or when you talk about the concert later on.

Scenario 4:
You are a longtime friend of Hamza’s family and mention to a neighbor that Hamza and Rafiah are about to
have a baby. The neighbor responds that, “Rafiah seems like a nice girl – but between you and me, I got a
shock when he brought her home!”

Scenario 5:
You are at one of Hamza’s neighborhood parties with your Muslim friends, and someone has brought a
special Puerto Rican dish that is not halal. Curious to try it, you have a few bites but your friends criticize
you for being a “bad” Muslim.

Scenario 6:
You and a friend are discussing Hamza’s work in the jail, and his idea to conduct outreach to drug dealers
in the community. Your friend says, “I know Hamza is trying to do the right thing, but I don’t really
understand why he’s working with those people. Didn’t they get what they deserve?”

New Muslim Cool Crossover Conversations Toolkit 7

WHAT YOU CAN DO

New Muslim Cool shows one man’s efforts to lift up communities in the streets, slums and jail cells of
Pittsburgh. What can you do to make a difference? Below are possible actions to suggest to your audience
members, which we welcome you to customize to meet local needs. And don’t forget to encourage people
to get involved in your organization’s ongoing efforts!

• Watch the DVD or broadcast with friends, or with groups you’re a part of. Buy a copy of the DVD
(available for purchase online at www.NewMuslimCool.com after June 2009) to host a watch party with
your friends, clubs, faith communities, or other groups. Introduce New Muslim Cool to as many people
as possible and keep the conversation going!

• Learn more about Islam and other faiths. Hamza’s story is just one example of the diversity of the
American Muslim community. Check out the sites in our resources section and start to educate yourself
about Muslims and other people of faith.

• Join a movement. The New Muslim Cool national partners (see last page) are just some of the many
groups that are working to bridge differences and fight for equality. Volunteer, donate, visit their
websites or join a local chapter to find out how you can get involved.

• Get to know your neighbors. People of different faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds have more
similarities than they are aware of. Use what you’ve learned from New Muslim Cool to start a dialogue
with one of your colleagues, classmates, or neighbors about what they believe and why. You may even
decide to host a community barbeque like Hamza.

• Share your story. When people of different backgrounds build off of each other’s creativity, the results
can be incredibly powerful. Follow Hamza’s example and get involved in a local interfaith or inter-ethnic
arts collaborative, or start one of your own. Whether you’re performing your own work or supporting
artists in a local poetry group, spoken word series, or open mic, you’ll be amazed at the stories you’ll
uncover.

• Write a letter to the editor. Write your local newspaper about what you learned in the film and why it is
relevant to your community. Perhaps there has been a recent raid in your town, or efforts to ease
Muslim-Jewish tensions. Whatever it may be, direct some of the themes from the film towards a positive
outcome for your community.

• Learn more about legislation related to surveillance and profiling. Laws against surveillance and
profiling exist in some states, but not all, and most don’t prevent profiling based on religion or religious
appearance. And to date, there is no federal legislation against racial profiling. Contact your local ACLU
to learn more about the laws in your state, the status of federal legislation and how you can get involved!

• Participate in an interfaith day of service. Working together to make a difference is a great way to
affirm shared values. Visit the Interfaith Youth Core’s Days of Interfaith Youth Service page for tips and
a quick start guide on how to plan an event in your community.

• Check out www.NewMuslimCool.com for additional resources. Watch conversation starter clips,
connect with other viewers, download discussion materials, read Hamza’s blog, and find out more ways
to continue the dialogue.

New Muslim Cool Crossover Conversations Toolkit 8

RESOURCES

The list of resources below is just to get you started! For additional organizations and web resources, visit
www.NewMuslimCool.com and the P.O.V. New Muslim Cool page.

For Crossover Conversations and Interfaith Learning

DiversityWeb (www.diversityweb.org) connects, amplifies and advances campus diversity work.

DiversityWeb is a project of the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ Office of Diversity,
Equity and Global Initiatives, which helps postsecondary schools establish diversity as a comprehensive
institutional commitment and educational priority.

The Interfaith Youth Core (www.ifyc.org) provides young people and the institutions that support them with
leadership training, project resources and a connection to a broader movement for religious pluralism.
IFYC’s Bridge-builders Network (http://bridge-builders.ning.com) is a social networking site that lets
interfaith youth leaders share resources, discuss current events and trends, and collaborate with one
another.

The Interfaith Alliance (www.interfaithalliance.org) promotes policies that protect both religion and
democracy, engaging in grassroots activism, legislative action, and public education. The organization has
affiliates in many states and action alerts on its website.

The National Coalition-Building Institute (www.ncbi.org) provides leadership development, prejudice

reduction, coalition building, conflict resolution, and violence prevention training to strengthen community
leadership around diversity issues. The NCBI has chapters nationwide and also designs customized
programs to address specific communities and organizations.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life (www.pewforum.org) is a nonpartisan, non-advocacy
organization that seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and
public affairs. The Forum serves as an information clearinghouse and town hall on religion and politics, the
law, domestic policy, and world affairs.

The Pluralism Project (www.pluralism.org) provides a wealth of resources for people interested in studying
and promoting pluralism. Check this site for an extensive list of faith-based and interfaith organizations,
searchable by state or tradition.

Teaching Tolerance (www.tolerance.org) provides free resources to students, teachers, and parents
dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations and supporting equitable school experiences
for all children. Site offerings include tips for speaking out against bigotry, ways to fight hate on campus,
downloadable curricula and classroom activities.

On Muslim Culture

AltMuslim.com provides news, reviews, and analysis about Muslim life in the U.S. and around the world.

Elan (www.elanthemag.com) is an innovative lifestyle publication for contemporary young Muslims, bridging
the gap between tradition and modernity by delivering a myriad of perspectives that encompass global
Muslim culture.

Illume Magazine (www.illumemagazine.org) is an award-winning publication that tells the Muslim-American

experience through bold narrative stories, offering unique insights on issues that affect the Muslim-
American community.

MuslimHipHop.com is an online portal and interactive community about and for Muslim artists.

New Muslim Cool Crossover Conversations Toolkit 9

New Muslim Cool Natio n al Partner Org an izatio ns

Active Voice (activevoice.net) uses film, television and digital media to tell the human stories that spark social
change. Our team of strategic communications specialists develops partnerships among filmmakers, funders,
and thought leaders; plans and manages screenings and high profile events; repurposes digital content for
viral distribution; produces educational collateral; and consults with industry and sector leaders.  Since our
inception in 2001, Active Voice has built a portfolio of campaigns focusing on issues including immigration,
criminal justice, healthcare, and sustainability.

Jennifer Maytorena Taylor (NewMuslimCool.com) is founder of Specific Pictures and Producer and Director of
New Muslim Cool. Jennifer’s films have been shown in theaters, on television, and in film festivals and museums
around the world. Her work often focuses on Latino themes with Spanish-language content. Credits include
the documentaries Paulina (Sundance Channel), Special Circumstances (PBS), Ramadan Primetime (Link TV),
Home Front and Immigration Calculations (KQED), and numerous short films. Her work includes numerous festival
awards and two regional Emmys, and has garnered support from institutions such as the Ford Foundation, the
National Endowment for the Arts, and the Rockefeller Foundation-supported U.S.-Mexico Fund for Culture.

P.O.V. (pbs.org/pov) is television’s longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films. P.O.V.
premieres 14-16 of the best, boldest and innovative programs every year on PBS. Since 1988, P.O.V. has
presented over 275 films to public television audiences across the country. P.O.V. films are known for their
intimacy, their unforgettable storytelling and their timeliness, putting a human face on contemporary social issues.

The Center for Asian American Media
(asianamericanmedia.org) funds, produces,
distributes and exhibits films, television and
digital media that convey the richness and
diversity of Asian American experiences.
The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network
(hsan.org) is a non-profit, non-partisan
national coalition dedicated to harnessing
the cultural relevance of Hip-Hop music to
serve as a catalyst for education advocacy
and youth empowerment.
The Inner-City Muslim Action Network
(imancentral.org) is a community-based
nonprofit that works for social justice,
delivers a range of direct services, and
cultivates the arts in urban communities.  (votolatino.org) is a non-partisan, nonprofit
The Interfaith Youth Core
(ifyc.org) builds mutual respect and
pluralism among young people from
different religious traditions by empowering
them to work together to serve others.
Islamic Networks Group
(ing.org) is a non-profit, educational
organization that promotes religious
literacy and mutual respect through
on-site presentations and interfaith
dialogues to schools, community agencies,
and other institutions.
The National Coalition-Building Institute
(ncbi.org) is an international non-profit
leadership development network dedicated
to the elimination of racism and other
forms of oppression.  NCBI leaders work
with public and private organizations to
further cultural competence, collaboration,
and effective relationships within and across
group identities.
The Pluralism Project
(pluralism.org) helps Americans engage
with the realities of religious diversity
through research, outreach, and the active
dissemination of resources.
Voto Latino
voter engagement organization that works
to promote an enfranchised America by
leveraging celebrity voices, multi-media
platforms, and youth themselves to promote
positive change.
Words, Beats and Life
(wblinc.org) is a nonprofit dedicated
to transforming individual lives and
communities through hip-hop. WBL runs the
D.C.-based Urban Arts Academy, publishes
the world’s only peer-reviewed hip-hop
journal, and serves as a resource for hip-hop
organizations nationwide.

Latino Public Broadcasting

(lpbp.org) supports the development,
production, acquisition and distribution of
non-commercial television that addresses
issues of particular interest to Latino Americans.

Major funding provided by: Additional funding provided by: Copyright © 2009
Latino Public Broadcasting LEF Foundation A C TIV E VOI C E
Ford Foundation Anthony Radziwill Fund
National Endowment for the Arts Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation
Nathan Cummings Foundation Hartley Film Foundation
Sundance Documentary Fund Paul Robeson Fund
Center for Asian American Media Nu Lambda Trust