truefilm

Well I don’t know why. The documentary by Martyn Burke and ABG Films Inc. was funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to be part of the first batch of films in their America At A Crossroads project. But now it isn’t. Islam vs. Islamists apparently focuses on struggles between moderate and less-moderate Islamic groups. And the story goes that politics is at the heart of the exclusion/postponement/cancellation. Or maybe the film wasn’t up to snuff. Depends who you ask.

This story is providing fodder for conservative/right-wing blogs. But there is some coverage in conservative and mainstream newspapers.

In the April 11 edition of The Washington times, Jennifer Harper writes:

The producers of “Islam vs. Islamists” say their taxpayer-funded film has been shelved by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in “an ideological vendetta,” and because the production team includes conservative columnist Frank Gaffney Jr., founder of the Center for Security Policy….

His partner Martyn Burke also accused CPB and PBS of stifling the film “on political grounds.”

CPB says the film simply needs work but stands a chance to be aired eventually as a “stand-alone” program in the future. ” ‘Islam vs. Islamists’ has not been canceled. It is a work in progress,” said CPB spokesman Michael Levy.

A day earlier, Dennis Wagner, who may have broken the story, writes in The Arizona Republic:

Mary Stewart, vice president of external affairs at WETA, said Burke’s documentary was not completed on time to be among 11 documentaries that will be aired beginning Sunday. Stewart said the picture may be broadcast by PBS at a later date.

“The film is a strong film,” Stewart said. “I’m still hoping to see this in the Crossroads initiative.”

Jeff Bieber, WETA’s executive producer for Crossroads, gave a substantially different explanation. He said Burke’s film had “serious structural problems (and) . . . was irresponsible because the writing was alarmist, and it wasn’t fair.”

This story is still unfolding. It might make a great documentary…
In the meantime, here’s the PBS/WETA site for the series.