"Despite all the differences," a film by recent BYU graduate Burke Olsen that focuses on Muslim students at BYU, will air tonight on KBYU.

"The documentary is something that was born as a lunchtime dream," Olsen said. "I am the producer and my friend Randall Curtis, who is a psychology major at the University of Utah, is the director."

Olsen met Curtis at the BYU Jerusalem Center in the spring of 2000.

"We would go to lunch a few times a week, and Curtis kept saying we needed to make a film," Olsen said.

Olsen originally planned to go to Jerusalem to film a documentary about the people he met.

"Because it was our first film, we decided to stay a little closer to home," Olsen said.

The documentary, which took over a year to film, focuses on the lives of three BYU students living as minorities among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The 30-minute documentary shows the daily traditions students participate in while living in a society with different beliefs. The documentary shows the students in class and interacting with friends and co-workers. It also shows religion's role in their lives. In one scene, the film shows a weekly prayer meeting that takes place on campus.

"Most students at BYU, and for that matter members of the church, don't know there is a room in the Wilkinson Center where the Muslims get together each Friday and pray together," Olsen said.

About 16 Palestinian students attend BYU, though the number fluctuates. Olsen said the film was created with an LDS Church audience in mind.

"Among Latter-day Saints, we have great feelings of sympathy and we should," Olsen said. "But often, because we are not exposed to it, we don't understand very much about Palestinians, and here was an opportunity to share just a little about Palestinians here in Provo."

Enass Tinah, a student from Palestine, is at BYU earning a doctorate in molecular biology and is in the documentary.

Before coming to BYU, Tinah was unaware of a university in the United States that had such high standards.

"I was pleasantly surprised there was an honor code," Tinah said. "I was reading these items and I was like 'are you kidding me? Is this for real? Is there a people in America who don't drink alcohol? Who agree with no promiscuity? A dress code? No smoking?"' Tinah said.

Shadi Qawasmi, a senior majoring in marketing, said he appreciates BYU so much more.

"I definitely appreciate BYU more especially when I hear about other students from my country in other schools and the way they were treated after September 11," Qawasmi said.

Qawasmi said he thinks many students would have a keen interest in the documentary because of the LDS faith.

"I'm sure a lot of students would be interested in watching the documentary, because a lot of them have served a mission in foreign countries and have an appreciation for different cultures," he said.

Olsen said these particular students have concern for their families.

"They're living their lives in Provo, but they are carrying the concerns of the world of their shoulders," Olsen said. "They jump online to see what's happening because they are worried about their families."

The documentary will be broadcast on KBYU at 9 tonight.



Copyright Brigham Young University 3 Oct 2003