VOA’s original documentary “Faith in Freedom: The Journey of Muslim-American Candidates” had its premiere screening on Monday, October 17, at the Voice of America headquarters in Washington D.C.
Produced by VOA’s Midwest correspondent, Kane Farabaugh, the 30-minute film follows the 2016 campaigns of four Muslim-American immigrants seeking office in city, state, and national government. The candidates come from India, Jordan, Yemen, and Somalia, hoping to serve Illinois, Nevada, Michigan, and Minnesota. Their backgrounds and circumstances are as diverse as the obstacles and barriers before them as they seek to become the first to represent this small but growing part of the American landscape.
“This was the culmination of a yearlong coverage of diaspora communities voting in primary elections in the Midwest,” said Farabaugh during a question and answer session after the screening of the documentary. This is just “a snapshot of those Muslim-Americans seeking to become more involved in government but they are many more who are trying to make a difference in their communities one election at a time.”
