Parvez Sharma, the director of A Jihad for Love, has traveled the world, sharing his film and prompting dialogue on the controversial topic of Islam and homosexuality. In this guest blog for Keppler Speakers, he discusses a recent event and the exciting and thoughtful discussions following the screening of his critically acclaimed film.

Last night, at the swanky new theater at Syracuse University, over 200 people showed up to discuss and debate my film, A Jihad for Love. After an afternoon talking to a class of documentary filmmakers about the challenges of making this film, I expected the evening to be fiery.

Fiery it was. Members of the Muslim Students Association (MSA) showed up, including a young African American Muslim man who commented that A Jihad for Love “is disingenuous in its claims.” He was quite clear about how the Qu’ran explicitly condemns homosexuality and we engaged in a compelling back and forth, as I do on so many campuses around the country.

A great deal of compelling discussion revolves around “hudud” (boundaries) in Islam, about the different “Madhabs” (schools of thought), and about the validity of a discussion on homosexuality taking place at all in these times of Islamophobia.

Young students from all walks of life and beliefs were drawn into the discussion as well - many live in the neighborhood and did not hear about the film from MSA but through “American” friends, and they apply and analyze its message to their own personal religions and beliefs. They came and they appreciated it tremendously, but many disagreed as well – but there was still much thoughtful discussion.

It is amazing opportunity to crisscross the country and have these tremendous discussions with students, faculty, and ordinary citizens. Every night is amazing!

To bring Parvez Sharma and his engaging discussions to your campus, contact Keppler Speakers bureau.

Activist Kerry Kennedy has long been an advocate for promotion of fair and equal justice and the defense of basic human rights. Now, stepping into very personal territory, she releases her book, the New York Times best-selling Being Catholic Now: Prominent Americans Talk About Change in the Church and the Quest for Meaning.

Having collected over 30 essays from prominent Catholics, including politicians, entertainers, and members of the clergy, Kerry Kennedy offers a complex and divergent array of perspectives and personal experiences of Catholicism. From Anna Quindlen to Bill Maher, Susan Sarandon and Douglas Brinkley, and Kennedy herself, the essayists address their beliefs, and how they reconcile changing times with the traditions of the religion.

Being Catholic Now encompasses the questions facing people of all faiths and denominations, probing how personal faith, traditions of the past, and the changes of the 21st century collide. Kerry Kennedy provides deep insight into the cross section of society and religion. Contact Keppler Speakers bureau for more information on bringing speaker Kerry Kennedy to your campus.

Keppler Speakers bureau is home to two of America’s greatest investigative documentary filmmakers, Alex Gibney and Eugene Jarecki. Their films provoke thoughtful questions and stimulating conversation with their focus on culture, politics, and the military.

Alex Gibney, an Academy Award-winner for 2008’s Taxi to the Dark Side, addresses the controversial topics and news that shape 21st century America. His piercing analysis of the collisions between American culture, business, and politics, is showcased in his 2006 documentary, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. His insightful presentations inspire audiences to consider what the actions and decisions of powerful people can mean for America’s place in the world.

The director of Why We Fight, winner of the 2005 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Eugene Jarecki asks penetrating questions about our American political and economic systems, and the rise of our military industrial complex. His new book, The American Way of War: Guided Missiles, Misguided Men, and a Republic in Peril, which will be released in October, reveals America at a crossroads, and Jarecki focuses on what can be done to get the country back on track. Examining military might across the decades, Jarecki prompts students to further examine the balance of power, urging them to preserve American democracy as a beacon of hope to all other nations.

Fuel your campus dialogue by bringing award-winning documentary filmmakers Alex Gibney and Eugene Jarecki for film screenings and events. Contact Keppler Speakers bureau for more information.

Welcome back from your summer break! As school gets back into the swing of things, Keppler Speakers bureau is excited to offer you the hottest speakers for your fall events.

The creator of the worldwide sensation the PostSecret Project, Frank Warren receives over three million visitors a month to PostSecret.com. A collection of over 250,000 personalized, artfully decorated, anonymous postcards which reveal senders’ darkest family secrets and funny personal reflections, the website changes the way we see ourselves and others. In his insightful and thought-provoking presentations, Warren reveals the stories behind the most memorable postcards, encouraging audiences to free their secrets and free their minds.

One of today’s most in-demand comedians and pop culture commentators, Michael Ian Black has been on television and best-seller lists all summer long. The star of the Comedy Central reality television spoof Reality Bites Back and VH1’s I Love the Millennium, he is also the author of the New York Times best-seller My Custom Van. Black shares his unique, irreverent, and absurd insights into everyday life, generating laughs and rave reviews.

Dan Savage has been delivering his unique brand of advice in his wildly popular “Savage Love” column for over a decade. Syndicated to millions of readers around the world, “Savage Love” is a cultural force that has broken barriers and brought frank talk on sexuality into the mainstream. Boldly covering anything and everything related to sex and relationships, Savage answers questions and creates a safe space for students to honestly discuss “taboo” topics.

Contact Keppler Speakers bureau for more information on bringing these exciting speakers to your campus this fall.