Taylor Comerford

HSTAFM 162
Film Critique- Koran by Heart
04/14/17
Cultural Relativism and the Imposed Western Lens Present within Koran by Heart

Greg Barker’s 2011 documentary film, Koran by Heart, is a contemplative exploration of

Islam during an incredibly critical period for the religion. The story follows three children in

their journey to compete in the annual Quran recitation competition in Cairo, Egypt. The film

presents a dense, yet diverse cast of characters, who differ in age, gender, country of origin, and

understandings of the Islamic faith. In utilizing the nuances of childhood innocence and

competition, Barker facilitates a discussion of Islam that is interesting and deeply relevant to his

Western audience. However, through a more critical perspective, the structure and language

utilized in the documentary manipulates the narrative through a deeply Westernized lens,

epitomized in the depiction of Nabiollah and Rifdha. While the film poignantly captures

Quranic recitation, I would not recommend the film to inform an audience on the context of

modern Islamic practice, as it establishes a view of the religion that is indicative of American

bias rather than religious truth.

This dichotomy is constructed through interviews with contestants and their parents.

Within the wide range of religious practice, all interviewees self-identify as “moderates”. The

portrayal of Nabiollah, the boy prodigy from Tajikistan, utilizes this trend. While Nabiollah’s

father respects religion, he also views the recitation competition as a platform for his son to

achieve an education. The family’s experiences in Cairo are paralleled by the turmoil they faces

at home, as the Islamic school Nabiollah attended was closed in a campaign against Islamic

“fundamentalism”. As Nabiollah achieves a scholarship to an expensive school due to his

recognition in Cairo, interviews with the administration of the institution present a narrow
definition of an adequate education. A more secular, Western model of learning is emphasized

as valuable. Furthermore this structure implicitly portrays Nabiollah’s more primary education

as insufficient, imparting a view of Eastern culture as less sophisticated and inferior.

This narrative is also juxtaposed with that of fellow competitor Rifdha, one of the few

female competitors. Her father is frequently portrayed negatively as the Western stereotype of

the male, Muslim misogynist. In a striking clips he is shown condemning the inhabitants of

Cairo for shaving their beards, and ridiculing the idea of Muslim coexistence with Christians and

Jews; his silent anger towards his daughter during portions of the competition juxtaposes her

levity with a heartbreaking tone. While he describes his family as firmly moderate, their lifestyle

is deliberately paralleled with more liberal characters, such as the family from Australia. These

more progressive characters only briefly appear, and are distinctly utilized to paint Rifdha’s

father as antiquated in his belief. The paring serves to further undermine the conservative

practice of Islam, and more broadly Eastern culture. In addition, the concluding scenes to

Rifdha’s experiences are framed by her father’s firm assertion that she will be a housewife,

despite her clear academic aptitude. The drama of this clip, timed after Rifdha’s success in the

competition, testimony from her mother, and the educational success of Nabiollah, further

characterize the Islamic culture as innately sexist. This classic Western criticism of Islam feels

somewhat forced and underdeveloped, presenting Eastern culture without adequate context.

While the film Koran by Heart presents a beautiful exposition of Quranic recitation, it

also includes a sub-narrative that is shaped by Western prejudice. The portrayals of characters

and structure of the film paint the more conservative practice of Islam as archaic in an almost

stereotypical critique of Eastern culture. While I would recommend the film for exposure to the

aural qualities of Quranic recitation, it is not a highly accurate understanding of modern Islamic
practice, and subtly proliferates biases that present the religion without the adequate

development of cultural context.